The UpperTruckee River is the single largest contributor of sediment to Lake Tahoe with a large proportion of the suspended-sediment load coming from eroding streambanks. Recent advances in quantifying streambank processes highlight the combined effects of hydraulic erosion at the bank toe with geotechnical stability of the upper part of the bank and resulted in the development of a deterministic model of bank-toe erosion and streambank stability (Simon et al., 1999). The use of riparian vegetation in schemes of bank stabilization and stream restoration have become popular but are often implemented on a trial and error basis because of a lack of quantifiable information on the mechanical and hydrologic effects of vegetation on bank stability. This study, conducted along an unstable reach of the UpperTruckee River, combines field data with numerical modeling to quantify (1) hydraulic and geotechnical driving and resisting forces that control bank failures, (2) the mechanical and hydrologic effects of vegetation on shear strength, and (3) the critical conditions for bank stability with and without indigenous riparian species. Tests were conducted using three top-bank treatments: bare (control), Lemmon's willow, and young Lodgepole pine. The susceptibility of the bank toe to erosion by hydraulic forces was quantified by conducting submerged jet tests of in situ material to determine the erodibility coefficient (k) and the critical shear stress of the material. Drained, shear-strength parameters (cohesion and friction angle) of the banks were determined from borehole shear tests at various depths. Pore-water pressure and matric suction were monitored at three depths (30, 100, and 150 cm) with digital tensiometers to calculate changes in apparent cohesion for the period (September 2003 - May 2004) and to differentiate between the hydrologic effects of the two species. Root reinforcement of the two species was quantified by determining the relation between root

The purpose of this Coastal and Hydraulics Engineering Technical Note (CHETN) is to demonstrate the utility of the SAM computer programs for evaluating the stability of a stream restoration design on the Truckee River...

... 43 Public Lands: Interior 1 2010-10-01 2010-10-01 false Truckee and Carson River water use. 418.17... Operations and Management § 418.17 Truckee and Carson River water use. Project water must be managed to make maximum use of Carson River water and to minimize diversions of Truckee River water through the Truckee...

Upstream from major pre-1900 ore milling in the Carson and Truckee River basins, "background" concentrations of total mercury in the upper 1 to 3 inches of sand- to clay-sized stream-bottom sediment are less than 0.1 ug/g (microgram per gram). Downstream, measured concentrations were as much as 200 times the background level. Greatest concentrations were encountered in the Carson River basin within and immediately upstream from Lahontan Reservoir. Data from for the Carson River near Fort Churchill suggest that most of the mercury in the sampled bottom sediment may be present as mercuric sulfide or as a component of one of more non-methyl organic compounds or complexes, rather than existing in the metallic state. Regardless of state, this reservoir of mercury is of concern because of its possible availability to the aquatic food chain and, ultimately, to man. Among 48 samples of surface water from 29 sites in the two basins, the maximum measured total-mercury concentration was 6.3 ug/1 (micrograms per liter), for a sample from the Carson River near Fort Churchill. Except downstream from Lahontan Reservoir, most other measured values were less than 1 ug/1. (The U.S> Environmental Protection Agency interim limit for drinking water is 5 ug/1.) The total-mercury content of stream water is related to the mercury content of bottom sediments and the rate of streamflow, because the latter affects the suspended-sediment transporting capability of the stream,. Near Fort Churchill, total-mercury concentrations that might be expected at streamflows greater than those of 1971-72 are: as much as 10-15 ug/1 or more at 2,000 cfs (cubic feet per second), and as much as 10-20 ug/1 or more at 3,000 cfs. Elsewhere, expectable concentrations are much less because the bottom sediment contains much less mercury. The mercury contents of water samples from 36 wells in the Carson and Truckee basins were all less than 1 ug/1, indicating that mercury is not a problem in ground water, even

... 43 Public Lands: Interior 1 2010-10-01 2010-10-01 false Diversion of Truckee River water to Lahontan Reservoir, July through December. 418.21 Section 418.21 Public Lands: Interior Regulations... Truckee River water to Lahontan Reservoir, July through December. Truckee River diversions through the...

The Truckee earthquake (9/12/1966, ML6.0) was a left-lateral event on a previously unrecognized NW-trending fault. The Prosser Creek and Boca Dams sustained damage, and the trace of the suspected causative fault passes near or through the site of the then-incomplete Stampede Dam. Another M6 earthquake occurred along the same general trend in 1948 with an epicenter in Dog Valley ~14 km to the NW of the 1966 epicenter. This trend is called the Dog Valley Fault (DVF), and its location on the ground surface is suggested by a prominent but broad zone of geomorphic lineaments near the cloud of aftershock epicenters determined for the 1966 event. Various ground effects of the 1966 event described by Kachadoorian et al. (1967) were located within this broad zone. The upper shoreface of reservoirs in the Truckee-Prosser-Martis basin are now exposed due to persistent drought. We have examined fault strands in a roadcut and exposed upper shoreface adjacent to the NE abutment of Stampede Dam. These are interpreted to be small-displacement splays associated with the DVF -- perhaps elements of the DVF damage zone. We have used the Seismo-Lineament Analysis Method (SLAM) to help us constrain the location of the DVF, based on earthquake focal mechanisms. Seismo-lineaments were computed, using recent revisions in the SLAM code (bearspace.baylor.edu/Vince_Cronin/www/SLAM/), for the 1966 main earthquake and for the better-recorded earthquakes of 7/3/1983 (M4) and 8/30/1992 (M3.2) that are inferred to have occurred along the DVF. Associated geomorphic analysis and some field reconnaissance identified a trend that might be associated with a fault, extending from the NW end of Prosser Creek Reservoir ~32° toward the Stampede Dam area. Triangle-strain analysis using horizontal velocities of local Plate Boundary Observatory GPS sites P146, P149, P150 and SLID indicates that the area rotates clockwise ~1-2°/Myr relative to the stable craton, as might be expected because the study area is

Conclusion: Based on the results of this study, functional stability of the unstable shoulder of Hanballers with Glenohumeral Internal Rotation Deficit is lower than the functional stability of the healthy subjects; therefore, we suggest that the upper extremity stabilization exercises, specially the closed kinetic chain exercises be added to the shoulder rehabilitation programs.

... Energy Regulatory Commission City of Fallon, Nevada; Truckee Donner Public Utility District v. NV Energy...), the City of Fallon, Nevada and Truckee Donner Public Utility District (collectively, Complainants... review in the Commission's Public Reference Room in Washington, DC. There is an ``eSubscription'' link on...

Martis Creek Dam, to the north of Lake Tahoe, was constructed for flood control in 1972 by the US Army Corp of Engineers. Since completion, all attempts to raise the level of Martis Creek Reservoir to its design level have been aborted due to seepage from locations downstream and along the west dam abutment. Following a recent evaluation, concerns have been raised regarding the potential for dam failure due to such seepage, combined with the consequences of failure on the growing population of Reno downstream. In response to these concerns, the US Geological Survey has undertaken a comprehensive suite of geophysical investigations aimed at understanding the interplay between geologic structure, seepage patterns, lake level, and ground-water levels. Investigations to date are focused upon a series of profiles, along which P- and S- wave reflection/refraction, DC resistivity, time-domain electromagnetic, and self- potential measurements have been made. Preliminary interpretation of coincident velocity, resistivity, and reflection sections suggests the dam rests upon a deep (>300 m) sedimentary section that interfingers with one or more volcanic flows derived from the Dry Lake Volcanic center to the east; this package has been subsequently offset by a NNW-trending fault of undetermined age and activity. Shallow resistivity sections further map glacial outwash deposits of variable thickness that cover most of the region to an average depth of 20-30 m. The ground-water level, as defined from seismic refraction sections, is depressed relative to current reservoir level and lies within sediments of the Truckee Formation that underlie the outwash deposits. The self-potential data are consistent with regional ground-water flow from south to north, as well as downhill flow from a topographic high on the right (east) abutment. The data show little indication of seepage through the dam from the reservoir, though this is likely due to the low reservoir level currently

Programs designed to prevent or rehabilitate athletic injuries or improve athletic performance frequently focus on core stability. This approach is based upon the theory that poor core stability increases the risk of poor performance and/or injury. Despite the widespread use of core stability training amongst athletes, the question of whether or not sufficient evidence exists to support this practice remains to be answered. 1) Open a dialogue on the definition and components of core stability. 2) Provide an overview of current science linking core stability to musculoskeletal injuries of the upper extremity. 3) Provide an overview of evidence for the association between core stability and athletic performance. Core stability is the ability to control the position and movement of the trunk for optimal production, transfer, and control of forces to and from the upper and lower extremities during functional activities. Muscle capacity and neuromuscular control are critical components of core stability. A limited body of evidence provides some support for a link between core stability and upper extremity injuries amongst athletes who participate in baseball, football, or swimming. Likewise, few studies exist to support a relationship between core stability and athletic performance. A limited body of evidence exists to support the use of core stability training in injury prevention or performance enhancement programs for athletes. Clearly more research is needed to inform decision making when it comes to inclusion or emphasis of core training when designing injury prevention and rehabilitation programs for athletes.

Full Text Available BACKGROUND: Programs designed to prevent or rehabilitate athletic injuries or improve athletic performance frequently focus on core stability. This approach is based upon the theory that poor core stability increases the risk of poor performance and/or injury. Despite the widespread use of core stability training amongst athletes, the question of whether or not sufficient evidence exists to support this practice remains to be answered.OBJECTIVES: 1 Open a dialogue on the definition and components of core stability. 2 Provide an overview of current science linking core stability to musculoskeletal injuries of the upper extremity. 3 Provide an overview of evidence for the association between core stability and athletic performance.DISCUSSION: Core stability is the ability to control the position and movement of the trunk for optimal production, transfer, and control of forces to and from the upper and lower extremities during functional activities. Muscle capacity and neuromuscular control are critical components of core stability. A limited body of evidence provides some support for a link between core stability and upper extremity injuries amongst athletes who participate in baseball, football, or swimming. Likewise, few studies exist to support a relationship between core stability and athletic performance.CONCLUSIONS: A limited body of evidence exists to support the use of core stability training in injury prevention or performance enhancement programs for athletes. Clearly more research is needed to inform decision making when it comes to inclusion or emphasis of core training when designing injury prevention and rehabilitation programs for athletes.

The present study aimed to find the proper distorotation of the upper first premolar to achieve the therapeutic ideal advocated for the stability of the human occlusion. Normal teeth were analyzed and occlusal photocopies of upper arch were made to perform the 2 measurements. The first parameter was the angle formed by the perpendicular to the wire through the buccal cusp and a line connecting the buccal and the lingual cusps of the upper first premolar. The second one was the angle from the buccal line and the sagittal plane of the model. The amount of distorotation was calculated and a method to bond the bracket was suggested.

Practically all the ground water of economic importance in the Truckee Meadows area, an alluviated intermontane basin in western Nevada is in the valley fill, which consists of unconsolidated and partially consolidated sedimentary deposits. The Mesozoic and Cenozoic consolidated rocks of the mountains bordering the valley contain some water in fractures and other openings, but they have virtually no interstitial permeability. The permeability of the valley fill is extremely variable. The Truckee Formation, which is the oldest deposit of the valley fill, yields very little water to wells. Permeable lenses of sand and gravel in the valley fill that are younger than the Truckee Formation yield moderate to large amounts of water to wells. The estimated average annual recharge to and discharge from the groundwater reservoir is 35,000 acre-feet. About 25,000 acre-feet of the recharge is from the infiltration of irrigation water diverted from the Truckee River. Most of the discharge is by evapotranspiration and by seepage to ditches and streams. Some water in the area is unsuitable for many uses because of its poor chemical quality. Water in the Steamboat Springs area is hot and has high concentrations of chloride and dissolved solids. Both water draining areas of bleached rock and ground water downgradient from areas of leached rock have high concentrations of sulfate and dissolved solids. Surface water of low dissolved-solids content mixes with and dilutes some highly mineralized ground water. Increased pumping in discharge areas will help to alleviate waterlogged conditions and will decrease ground-water losses by evapotranspiration. Increased pumping near the Truckee River may induce recharge from the river to the ground-water system.

Full Text Available Abstract Background The forces developed during inspiration play a key role in determining upper airway stability and the occurrence of nocturnal breathing disorders. Phrenic nerve stimulation applied during wakefulness is a unique tool to assess Upper airway dynamic properties and to measure the overall mechanical effects of the inspiratory process on UA stability. Objectives To compare the flow/pressure responses to inspiratory and expiratory twitches between sleep apnea subjects and normal subjects. Methods Inspiratory and expiratory twitches using magnetic nerve stimulation completed in eleven untreated sleep apnea subjects and ten normal subjects. Results In both groups, higher flow and pressure were reached during inspiratory twitches. The two groups showed no differences in expiratory twitch parameters. During inspiration, the pressure at which flow-limitation occurred was more negative in normals than in apneic subjects, but not reaching significance (p = 0.07. The relationship between pharyngeal pressure and flow adequately fitted with a polynomial regression model providing a measurement of upper airway critical pressure during twitch. This pressure significantly decreased in normals from expiratory to inspiratory twitches (-11.1 ± 1.6 and -15.7 ± 1.0 cm H2O respectively, 95% CI 1.6–7.6, p Conclusion Inspiratory-related upper airway dilating forces are impeded in sleep apnea patients.

The question of estimating the upper limit of -parallel B -parallel 2 , which is a key step in some recently reported global robust stability criteria for delayed neural networks, is revisited ( B denotes the delayed connection weight matrix). Recently, Cao, Huang, and Qu have given an estimate of the upper limit of -parallel B -parallel 2 . In the present paper, an alternative estimate of the upper limit of -parallel B -parallel 2 is highlighted. It is shown that the alternative estimate may yield some new global robust stability results

... Environmental Quality Act (CEQA), and Article VII of the Tahoe Regional Planning Compact and Chapter 5 of the... community of South Lake Tahoe and State Parks. This impact would not contribute to a cumulative effect on... providing an improved 18-hole regulation golf course. The golf course would support seasonal tourism in the...

The M 6.0 Truckee earthquake of 12 September 1966 caused a variety of surface effects observed over a large area, but the rupture plane of the causative fault did not displace the ground surface. The fault that generated the earthquake was named the Dog Valley fault [DVF], and its ground trace was assumed to be within a zone of subparallel drainage lineaments. The plunge and trend of the dip vector for the best fault-plane solution is 80° 134° with 0° rake, corresponding to a steep NE striking left-lateral strike-slip fault (Tsai and Aki, 1970). The Stampede Dam was completed along the trend of the Dog Valley fault in 1970, just four years after the Truckee earthquake, and impounds almost a quarter-million acre-feet of water. Failure of Stampede Dam would compromise Boca Dam downstream and pose a catastrophic threat to people along the Truckee River floodplain to Reno and beyond. Two 30 m long trenches excavated across a suspected DVF trend by the US Bureau of Reclamation in the 1980s did not find evidence of faulting (Hawkins et al., 1986). The surface trace of the DVF has remained unknown. We used the Seismo-Lineament Analysis Method [SLAM] augmented with a total least squares analysis of the focal locations of known or suspected aftershocks, along with focal mechanism data from well located events since 1966, to constrain the search for the DVF ground trace. Geomorphic analysis of recently collected aerial lidar data along this composite seismo-lineament has lead to a preliminary interpretation that the DVF might extend from the Prosser Creek Reservoir near 39.396°N 120.168°W through or immediately adjacent to the Stampede Dam structure. A second compound geomorphic lineament is sub-parallel to this line 1.6 km to the northwest, and might represent another strand of the DVF. As noted by Hawkins et al. (1986), human modification of the land surface complicates structural-geomorphic analysis. Fieldwork in 2016 took advantage of drought conditions to examine

Directing the ground reaction forces to a focal point above the centre of mass of the whole body promotes whole body stability in human and animal gaits similar to a physical pendulum. Here we show that this is the case in human hip-flexed walking as well. For all upper body orientations (upright, 25°, 50°, maximum), the focal point was well above the centre of mass of the whole body, suggesting its general relevance for walking. Deviations of the forces' lines of action from the focal point increased with upper body inclination from 25 to 43 mm root mean square deviation (RMSD). With respect to the upper body in upright gait, the resulting force also passed near a focal point (17 mm RMSD between the net forces' lines of action and focal point), but this point was 18 cm below its centre of mass. While this behaviour mimics an unstable inverted pendulum, it leads to resulting torques of alternating sign in accordance with periodic upper body motion and probably provides for low metabolic cost of upright gait by keeping hip torques small. Stabilization of the upper body is a consequence of other mechanisms, e.g. hip reflexes or muscle preflexes.

To evaluate whether isometric exercises for the upper extremities could sufficiently activate core stabilizing muscles to increase muscle strength. Cross-sectional study. Department of physical medicine and rehabilitation at a Finnish hospital. Healthy adult women (N=20). Not applicable. Peak isometric strength of the back and abdominal muscles was measured and relative loading in 5 test exercises was evaluated by surface electromyography. The rectus abdominis and obliquus externus abdominis were activated to the greatest degree in a bilateral shoulder extension exercise and the average surface electromyographic activity was 114% and 101% compared with the amplitude elicited during the maximal isometric trunk flexion exercise. Horizontal shoulder extension elicited the greatest activation of the longissimus and multifidus muscles. In this exercise, the activity levels of the left side multifidus and longissimus muscles were 84% and 69%, respectively, compared with the level of activity elicited during trunk extension. Of all the exercises studied, bilaterally performed isometric shoulder extension and unilaterally performed horizontal shoulder extension elicited the greatest levels of activation of the trunk musculature. Thus, it can be assumed that these exercises elicit sufficient levels of contraction of the trunk muscles for the development of their endurance and strength characteristics in rehabilitation.

The objectives of the Geological Survey 's river-quality assessment in the Truckee and Carson River basins in California and Nevada are to identify the significant resource management problems; to develop techniques to assess the problems; and to effectively communicate results to responsible managers. Six major elements of the assessment to be completed by October 1981 are (1) a detailing of the legal, institutional, and structural development of water resources in the basins and the current problems and conflicts; (2) a compilation and synthesis of the physical hydrology of the basins; (3) development of a special workshop approach to involve local management in the direction and results of the study; (4) development of a comprehensive streamflow model emcompassing both basins to provide a quantitative hydrologic framework for water-quality analysis; (5) development of a water-quality transport model for selected constituents and characteristics on selected reaches of the Truckee River; and (6) a detailed examination of selected fish habitats for specified reaches of the Truckee River. Progress will be periodically reported in reports, maps, computer data files, mathematical models, a bibliography, and public presentations. In building a basic framework to develop techniques, the basins were viewed as a single hydrologic unit because of interconnecting diversion structures. The framework comprises 13 hydrographic subunits to facilitate modeling and sampling. Several significant issues beyond the scope of the assessment were considered as supplementary proposals; water-quality loadings in Truckee and Carson Rivers, urban runoff in Reno and management alternatives, and a model of limnological processes in Lahontan Reservoir. (USGS)

Full Text Available Background: Hemiplegia is the commonest form of paralysis, involving arm, leg and sometimes the face on one side of the body. Shoulder girdle in chronic hemiplegic suffers from two sorts of problems (a spasticity of elevators and retractors, which pull the scapula into a fixed elevated and retracted position. (b weakness of the opposite group of scapular muscles, i.e., depressors and protectors. This leads to instability of the scapulothoracic joint resulting in impaired functional use of the upper limb, taping is a method of maintaining orientation of the scapula by means of proprioceptive biofeedback to the patient. Aim of this study is to check the effect of taping on scapular stability and upper limb function in recovering hemiplegics. Objectives of the Study: (1 To study the effect of taping on functional performance of the hemiplegic upper extremity. (2 To compare the effect of taping combined with physiotherapeutic exercises v/s physiotherapeutic exercises alone on functional independence of the hemiplegic upper extremity. Subjects: All the 37 chronic hemiplegic patients with scapular weakness were taken and divided into two groups: Group A (Experimental group and Group B (Control group. Materials and Methods: All the 37 chronic hemiplegic patients were evaluated by Fugl Meyer Physical Performance Assessment Scale for hemiplegic upper extremity before starting the treatment. Group A patients received scapular taping combined with physiotherapeutic exercises and Group B patients received only physiotherapeutic exercises for the period of 2 weeks. After 2 weeks both Group A and B patients were re-evaluated on Fugl Meyer Physical Performance Assessment Scale for hemiplegic upper extremity. Results: There was a significant improvement between the pre- and post-treatment scores of Group A patients on the Fugl Meyer Physical Performance Assessment Scale of hemiplegic upper extremity, whereas Group B patients score on the same scale was

Aquatic foodweb models for 2 seasons (relatively high- [March] and low-flow [August] conditions) were constructed for 4 reaches on the Truckee River using ??13C and ??15N data from periphyton, macroinvertebrate, and fish samples collected in 2003 and 2004. The models were constructed with isotope values that included measured periphyton signatures and calculated mean isotope values for detritus and seston as basal food sources of each food web. The pseudo-optimization function in Excel's Solver module was used to minimize the sum of squared error between predicted and observed stable-isotope values while simultaneously solving for diet proportions for all foodweb consumers and estimating ??13C and ??15N trophic enrichment factors. This approach used an underdetermined set of simultaneous linear equations and was tested by running the pseudo-optimization procedure for 500 randomly selected sets of initial conditions. Estimated diet proportions had average standard deviations (SDs) of 0.03 to 0.04??? and SDs of trophic enrichment factors ranged from dead ends because they generally were not consumed. Predatory macroinvertebrate diets varied along the river and affected estimated trophic positions of fish that consumed them. Differences in complexity and composition of the food webs appeared to be related to season, but could also have been caused by interactions with nonnative species, especially invasive crayfish. ?? 2007 by The North American Benthological Society.

A recent evaluation of Martis Creek Dam highlighted the potential for dam failure due to either seepage or an earthquake on nearby faults. In 1972, the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers constructed this earthen dam, located within the Truckee Basin to the north of Lake Tahoe, CA for water storage and flood control. Past attempts to raise the level of the Martis Creek Reservoir to its design level have been aborted due to seepage at locations downstream, along the west dam abutment, and at the base of the spillway. In response to these concerns, the U.S. Geological Survey has undertaken a comprehensive suite of geophysical investigations aimed at understanding the interplay between geologic structure, seepage patterns, and reservoir and groundwater levels. This paper concerns the geologic structure surrounding Martis Creek Dam and emphasizes the importance of a regional-scale understanding to the interpretation of engineering-scale geophysical data. Our studies reveal a thick package of sedimentary deposits interbedded with Plio-Pleistocene volcanic flows; both the deposits and the flows are covered by glacial outwash. Magnetic field data, seismic tomography models, and seismic reflections are used to determine the distribution and chronology of the volcanic flows. Previous estimates of depth to basement (or the thickness of the interbedded deposits) was 100 m. Magnetotelluric soundings suggest that electrically resistive bedrock may be up to 2500 m deep. Both the Polaris Fault, identified outside of the study area using airborne LiDAR, and the previously unnamed Martis Creek Fault, have been mapped through the dam area using ground and airborne geophysics. Finally, as determined by direct-current resistivity imaging, time-domain electromagnetic sounding, and seismic refraction, the paleotopography of the interface between the sedimentary deposits and the overlying glacial outwash plays a principal role both in controlling groundwater flow and in the distribution of the

Organic compounds studied in this U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) assessment generally are man-made, including, in part, pesticides, solvents, gasoline hydrocarbons, personal care and domestic-use products, and refrigerants and propellants. Of 258 compounds measured, 28 were detected in at least 1 source water sample collected approximately monthly during 2002-05 at the intake of the Chalk Bluff Treatment Plant, on the Truckee River upstream of Reno, Nevada. The diversity of compounds detected indicate various sources and uses (including wastewater discharge, industrial, agricultural, domestic, and others) and different pathways (including point sources from treated wastewater outfalls upstream of the sampling location, overland runoff, and groundwater discharge) to drinking-water supply intakes. Three compounds were detected in more than 20 percent of the source-water intake samples at low concentrations (less than 0.1 microgram per liter), including caffeine, p-cresol (a wood preservative), and toluene (a gasoline hydrocarbon). Sixteen of the 28 compounds detected in source water also were detected in finished water (after treatment, but prior to distribution; 2004-05). Additionally, two disinfection by-products not detected in source water, bromodichloromethane and dibromochloromethane, were detected in all finished water samples. Two detected compounds, cholesterol and 3-beta-coprostanol, are among five naturally occurring biochemicals analyzed in this study. Concentrations for all detected compounds in source and finished water generally were less than 0.1 microgram per liter and always less than human-health benchmarks, which are available for about one-half of the compounds. Seven compounds (toluene, chloroform, bromodichloromethane, dibromodichloromethane, bisphenol A, cholesterol, and 3-beta-coprostanol) were measured at concentrations greater than 0.1 microgram per liter. On the basis of this screening-level assessment, adverse effects to human health are

This report, a product of the National Water- Quality Assessment Program, is a compilation of physical data and biological data for algae, aquatic invertebrates, and fish collected in the Carson and Truckee River Basins, Nevada and California. Most of the data were collected between 1993 and 1996 at selected reaches on the Carson and Truckee Rivers. Algae and aquatic invertebrate samples were collected from cobble riffles, submerged woody-snag habitats, and from depositional areas such as pools. Between 1993 and 1996, fish and crayfish were collected from all wadeable habitats at each of seven basic-fixed sites using either electroshocking methods or seining. Additional fish and crayfish were collected at one site on the Truckee River in 1997. Fish were identified to species, measured for total and standard length, checked for anomalies, and weighed at the collection site. Fish were returned to the stream after measurements were taken. Measurements of water depth, stream velocity, determinations of substrate type and substrate embeddedness were made at each sampling site. Algae and aquatic invertebrate samples were sent to the U.S. Geological Survey National Water-Quality Laboratory for identification and enumeration. A total of 103 semi-quantitative and 55 qualitative algae samples were collected at 20 river reaches on the Carson and Truckee Rivers between 1993 and 1996. These samples represent algae in cobble riffles, on submerged woody snags, and on sediment surfaces in depositional areas. In those 158 samples, 514 algal species, varieties, or forms were identified. Of the 8 algal phyla represented, the diatoms (Phylum Bacillariophyta) were the most abundant with 351 species, varieties, or forms. The green algae (Phylum Chlorophyta) were next in abundance with 108 species, varieties, or forms followed by the blue-green algae (Phylum Cyanophyta) with 41 species, varieties, or forms. A total of 49 semi-quantitative aquatic invertebrate samples were collected at 27

The stability of natural gas hydrate accumulations on continental margins has mainly been considered in terms of changes in seawater pressures and temperatures driven from above by climate. We present evidence from the Amazon deep-sea fan for stability zone changes driven from below by fluid upwelling. A grid of 2D and 3D multichannel seismic data show the upper Amazon fan in water depths of 1200-2000 m to contain a discontinuous bottom-simulating seismic reflection (BSR) that forms `patches' 10-50 km wide and up to 140 km long, over a total area of at least 5000 km2. The elongate BSR patches coincide with anticlinal thrust-folds that record on-going gravitational collapse of the fan above décollements at depths of up to 10 km. The BSR lies within 100-300 m of seafloor, in places rising beneath features that seafloor imagery show to be pockmarks and mud volcanoes, some venting gas to the water column. The BSR patches are up to 500 m shallower than predicted for methane hydrate based on geothermal gradients as low as 17˚C/km measured within the upper fan, and inversion of the BSR to obtain temperatures at the phase boundary indicates gradients 2-5 times background levels. We interpret the strongly elevated BSR patches to record upwelling of warm gas-rich fluids through thrust-fault zones 101 km wide. We infer this process to favour gas hydrate occurrences that are concentrated in proportion to flux and locally pierced by vents, and that will be sensitive to temporal variations in the upward flux of heat and gas. Thus episodes of increased flux, e.g. during thrusting, could dissociate gas hydrates to trigger slope failures and/or enhanced gas venting to the ocean. Structurally-driven fluid flow episodes could account for evidence of recurrent large-scale failures from the compressive belt on the upper fan during its Neogene collapse, and provide a long-term alternative to sea level triggering. The proposed mechanism of upward flux links the distribution and

At the terminus of the Truckee River into Pyramid Lake (Nevada, USA), upstream river management actions have dramatically reshaped the river landscape, posing significant challenges for the management of endangered aquatic species and maintenance of existing infrastructure. Within the last 100 years, upstream water withdrawal for human uses has resulted in a rapid lowering of Pyramid Lake which initiated up to 90 ft of channel incision. In 1976 Marble Bluff Dam was constructed to halt the upstream progression of channel incision and protect upstream agricultural lands, tribal resources, and infrastructure. Since construction an additional 40 ft of lake lowering and subsequent channel lowering now poses a potential risk to the structural integrity of the dam. The dynamic downstream river combined with ongoing reservoir sedimentation pose challenges to fish passage facilities that enable migration of numerous endangered cui-ui and threatened Lahontan Cutthroat Trout (LCT) to upstream spawning areas each year. These facilities include a fish lock at the dam, a fish bypass channel which allows fish to avoid the shallow delta area during low lake levels, and a meandering channel constructed by the Nature Conservancy to connect the bypass channel to the receding Pyramid Lake. The reservoir formed by Marble Bluff Dam has completely filled with sediment which impacts fish passage facilities. The original operating manual for the dam recommends year-round flushing of sediment through radial gates, but this can no longer be accomplished. During critical fish migration periods in the spring operators must ensure fish entrance channels downstream of the dam are not buried with released sediment and fish are not trapped in a portion of the reservoir full of sediment that would risk sending them back over the dam. To help inform future reservoir sediment and infrastructure management strategies, we bracket a range of potential river responses to lake level lowering and floods

Full Text Available In snow-fed inland river systems in the western United States, water supply depends upon timing, form, and amount of precipitation. In recent years, this region has experienced unprecedented drought conditions due to decreased snowpack, exacerbated by exceptionally warmer winter temperatures averaging 3–4 °C above normal. In the snow-fed Truckee-Carson River System, two sets of interviews were conducted as part of a larger collaborative modeling case study with local water managers to examine local adaptation to current drought conditions. A comparative analysis of these primary qualitative data, collected during the fourth and fifth consecutive years of continued warmer drought conditions, identifies shifts in adaptation strategies and emergent adaptation barriers. That is, under continuous exposure to climate stressors, managers shifted their adaptation focus from short-term efforts to manage water demand toward long-term efforts to enhance water supply. Managers described the need to: improve forecasts and scientific assessments of snowmelt timing, groundwater levels, and soil moisture content; increase flexibility of prior appropriation water allocation rules based on historical snowpack and streamflow timing; and foster collaboration and communication among water managers across the river system. While water scarcity and insufficient water delivery infrastructure remain significant impediments in this arid region, climate uncertainty emerged as a barrier surrounding adaptation to variable water supply. Existing prior appropriation based water institutions were also described as an adaptation barrier, meriting objective evaluation to assess how to best modify these historical institutions to support dynamic adaptation to climate-induced water supply variability. This study contributes to a growing body of research that assesses drought adaptation in snow-fed inland river systems, and contributes a unique report concerning how adaptation

This study investigates the relationship between rainfall variation and rain-fed agricultural production in Upper Mesopotamia with a specific focus on Early Bronze Age urban settlements. In return, the variation in production is used to explore stability of urban settlement systems. The organization of the flow of agricultural goods is the key to sustaining the total settlement system. The vulnerability of a settlement system increases due to the increased demand for more output from agricultural lands. This demand is the key for the success of urbanization project. However, without estimating how many foodstuffs were available at the end of a production cycle, further discussions on the forces that shaped and sustained urban settlement systems will be lacking. While large scale fluctuations in the flow of agricultural products between settlements are not the only determinants of hierarchical structures, the total available agricultural yield for each urban settlement in a hierarchy must have influenced settlement relations. As for the methodology, first, Early Bronze Age precipitation levels are estimated by using modern day associations between the eastern Mediterranean coastal areas and the inner regions of Upper Mesopotamia. Next, these levels are integrated into a remote-sensing based biological growth model. Also, a CORONA satellite imagery based archaeological survey is conducted in order to map the Early Bronze Age settlement system in its entirety as well as the ancient markers of agricultural intensification. Finally, ancient agricultural production landscapes are modeled in a GIS. The study takes a critical position towards the traditionally held assumption that large urban settlements (cities) in Upper Mesopotamia were in a state of constant demand for food. The results from this study also suggest that when variations in ancient precipitation levels are translated into the variations in production levels, the impact of climatic aridification on ancient

A feedback control system, called an auxiliary array switch, was designed to connect or disconnect auxiliary solar panel segments from a spacecraft electrical bus to meet fluctuating demand for power. A simulation of the control system was used to carry out a number of design and analysis tasks that could not economically be performed with a breadboard of the hardware. These tasks included: (1) the diagnosis of a stability problem, (2) identification of parameters to which the performance of the control system was particularly sensitive, (3) verification that the response of the control system to anticipated fluctuations in the electrical load of the spacecraft was satisfactory, and (4) specification of limitations on the frequency and amplitude of the load fluctuations.

The Close Kinetic Chain Upper Extremity Stability Test (CKCUES test) is a low cost shoulder functional test that could be considered as a complementary and objective clinical outcome for shoulder performance evaluation. However, its reliability was tested only in recreational athletes' males and there are no studies comparing scores between sedentary and active samples. The purpose was to examine inter and intrasession reliability of CKCUES Test for samples of sedentary male and female with (SIS), for samples of sedentary healthy male and female, and for male and female samples of healthy upper extremity sport specific recreational athletes. Other purpose was to compare scores within sedentary and within recreational athletes samples of same gender. A sample of 108 subjects with and without SIS was recruited. Subjects were tested twice, seven days apart. Each subject performed four test repetitions, with 45 seconds of rest between them. The last three repetitions were averaged and used to statistical analysis. Intraclass Correlation Coefficient ICC2,1 was used to assess intrasession reliability of number of touches score and ICC2,3 was used to assess intersession reliability of number of touches, normalized score, and power score. Test scores within groups of same gender also were compared. Measurement error was determined by calculating the Standard Error of the Measurement (SEM) and Minimum detectable change (MDC) for all scores. The CKCUES Test showed excellent intersession reliability for scores in all samples. Results also showed excellent intrasession reliability of number of touches for all samples. Scores were greater in active compared to sedentary, with exception of power score. All scores were greater in active compared to sedentary and SIS males and females. SEM ranged from 1.45 to 2.76 touches (based on a 95% CI) and MDC ranged from 2.05 to 3.91(based on a 95% CI) in subjects with and without SIS. At least three touches are needed to be considered a

intersects the oceanic geotherm deeper than 400 km. Thus, eclogite cannot host carbonates in the asthenosphere. Carbonated eclogite bodies entering the convecting upper mantle would release carbonate melt in the mantle transition zone. Upon release, this small volume, highly reactive melt could be an effective agent of deep mantle metasomatism. Comparison of our eclogite-CO2 solidus with that of peridotite-CO2 shows a shallower solidus-geotherm intersection for the latter. This implies that carbonated peridotite is a more likely proximal source of magmatic carbon in oceanic provinces. However, carbonated eclogite is a potential source of continental carbonatites, as its solidus crosses the continental shield geotherm at ca. 4 GPa.

Full Text Available Fuel oil flyash (FFA produced in power and water desalination plants firing crude oils in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia is being disposed in landfills, which increases the burden on the environment, therefore, FFA utilization must be encouraged. In the current research, the effect of adding FFA on the engineering properties of two indigenous soils, namely sand and marl, was investigated. FFA was added at concentrations of 5%, 10% and 15% to both soils with and without the addition of Portland cement. Mixtures of the stabilized soils were thoroughly evaluated using compaction, California Bearing Ratio (CBR, unconfined compressive strength (USC and durability tests. Results of these tests indicated that stabilized sand mixtures could not attain the ACI strength requirements. However, marl was found to satisfy the ACI strength requirement when only 5% of FFA was added together with 5% of cement. When the FFA was increased to 10% and 15%, the mixture’s strength was found to decrease to values below the ACI requirements. Results of the Toxicity Characteristics Leaching Procedure (TCLP, which was performed on samples that passed the ACI requirements, indicated that FFA must be cautiously used in soil stabilization.

Influenza virus entry is mediated by the acidic-pH-induced activation of hemagglutinin (HA) protein. Here, we investigated how a decrease in the HA activation pH (an increase in acid stability) influences the properties of highly pathogenic H5N1 influenza virus in mammalian hosts. We generated isogenic A/Vietnam/1203/2004 (H5N1) (VN1203) viruses containing either wild-type HA protein (activation pH 6.0) or an HA2-K58I point mutation (K to I at position 58) (activation pH 5.5). The VN1203-HA2-K58I virus had replication kinetics similar to those of wild-type VN1203 in MDCK and normal human bronchial epithelial cells and yet had reduced growth in human alveolar A549 cells, which were found to have a higher endosomal pH than MDCK cells. Wild-type and HA2-K58I viruses promoted similar levels of morbidity and mortality in C57BL/6J mice and ferrets, and neither virus transmitted efficiently to naive contact cage-mate ferrets. The acid-stabilizing HA2-K58I mutation, which diminishes H5N1 replication and transmission in ducks, increased the virus load in the ferret nasal cavity early during infection while simultaneously reducing the virus load in the lungs. Overall, a single, acid-stabilizing mutation was found to enhance the growth of an H5N1 influenza virus in the mammalian upper respiratory tract, and yet it was insufficient to enable contact transmission in ferrets in the absence of additional mutations that confer α(2,6) receptor binding specificity and remove a critical N-linked glycosylation site. The information provided here on the contribution of HA acid stability to H5N1 influenza virus fitness and transmissibility in mammals in the background of a non-laboratory-adapted virus provides essential information for the surveillance and assessment of the pandemic potential of currently circulating H5N1 viruses.

High-resolution single channel-seismic data (3.5 kHz) reveal small-scale submarine landslide structures and superficial deformation features (e.g. tension cracks) along the gently dipping (3°) upper continental slope west of the Vesterålen Archipelago off northern Norway. Previous laboratory-based geotechnical studies attest that the slope is per sestable and that seismic events in an order of magnitude M5.7 may have triggered the slope sediments to fail. Here we present geotechnical in situ data (sedimentary strength, pore pressure), which were obtained with RV Poseidon in summer 2014 using the static CPTU system GOST. The CPTU system provided high-resolution geotechnical profiles of the uppermost sediments to a maximum penetration depth of ~ 20 m at six sites within the landslide features and beside them in undisturbed slope sediments as reference. The CPTU data reveal the occurrence of mechanically weaker zones (MWZ) by the drop of sedimentary strength. These zones are interbedded by coarser, more competent layers. The occurrence of sensitive fine-grained material may be responsible for the loss of strength in the deeper portion (appx. 12 to 18 m below seafloor). An 1D infinite pseudo-static stability analysis attests that the mechanically weaker zones (MWZ) correlate well with portions, where the Factor of Safety (FoS) ≤ 1 (meta-stable to unstable) indicates permanent deformation or failure in case additional dynamic load is induced by an earthquake. Thus, the mechanically weak layers can be considered as one important pre-condition for landslide activity. In conclusion, the integration of in situ CPTU data with geophysical data improves soil characterization and hence foster a better understanding of the pre-conditioning factors for slope instability at the upper continental slope off Vesterålen. Risk assessment for the present-day slope off Vesterålen is particularly crucial, because the opening of the region for offshore oil and gas exploration is

Photography is one of the few fine art forms that were initially developed by scientists such as Herschel and Talbot; however, in the modern chemistry curriculum, photography has become divorced from its scientific beginnings and resides in the studio arts department of most universities. An upper-level undergraduate experiment is described in…

Background Osteopathic manipulative treatment (OMT) of the sphenopalatine ganglion (SPG) is used empirically for the treatment of rhinitis and snoring and is thought to increase pharyngeal stability. This trial was designed to study the effects of this treatment on pharyngeal stability evaluated by critical closing pressure in obstructive sleep apnoea syndrome. Methods This single-centre, randomized, crossover, double-blind study compared active manipulation and sham manipulation of the SPG. ...

Computer simulation of ion motion in a quadrupole mass spectrometer has been used to examine the effect of initial ion conditions on performance when operated in the first and third zones of the Mathieu stability diagram. Commercial instruments frequently use round electrodes instead of the better-performing hyperbolic electrodes because the cost of manufacturing is lower. However, adverse features are seen when using round electrodes. Here further insight is provided and a possible method of correction is suggested. For the first time, ion origin for the first stability region for a round electrode quadrupole has been reported

Large woody debris (LWD) is an important component of ecosystem function in floodplain rivers. We examined the effects on LWD distribution of shoreline land use, bank stabilization, local channel geomorphology, and distance from the dam in the Garrison Reach, a regulated reach of...

A transect of seafloor heat probe measurements on the Hikurangi Margin shows a significant increase of thermal gradients upslope of the updip limit of gas hydrate stability at the seafloor. We interpret these anomalously high thermal gradients as evidence for a fluid pulse leading to advective heat flux, while endothermic cooling from gas hydrate dissociation depresses temperatures in the hydrate stability field. Previous studies predict a seamount on the subducting Pacific Plate to cause significant overpressure beneath our study area, which may be the source of the fluid pulse. Double-bottom simulating reflections are present in our study area and likely caused by uplift based on gas hydrate phase boundary considerations, although we cannot exclude a thermogenic origin. We suggest that uplift may be associated with the leading edge of the subducting seamount. Our results provide further evidence for the transient nature of fluid expulsion in subduction zones.

Osteopathic manipulative treatment (OMT) of the sphenopalatine ganglion (SPG) is used empirically for the treatment of rhinitis and snoring and is thought to increase pharyngeal stability. This trial was designed to study the effects of this treatment on pharyngeal stability evaluated by critical closing pressure in obstructive sleep apnoea syndrome. This single-centre, randomized, crossover, double-blind study compared active manipulation and sham manipulation of the SPG. Randomization was computer-generated. Patients each received one active manipulation and one sham manipulation at an interval of 21 days and were evaluated 30 min and 48 h after each session administered by a qualified osteopath. Neither the patients, nor the investigator performing the evaluations were informed about the order of the two techniques (double-blind). The primary endpoint was the percentage of responding patients presenting increased pharyngeal stability defined by a variation of critical closing pressure (Pcrit) of at least -4 cmH 2 O at 30 min. Secondary endpoints were the variation of Pcrit in absolute values, sleepiness and snoring. Others endpoints were lacrimation (Schirmer's test), induced pain, sensations experienced during OMT. Ten patients were included and nine (57 [50; 58] years, comprising 7 men, with an apnoea-hypopnoea index of 31.0 [25.5; 33.2]/h; (values are median [quartiles])) were analysed. Seven patients were analysed for the primary endpoint and nine patients were analysed for secondary endpoints. Five patients responded after active manipulation versus no patients after sham manipulation (p = 0.0209). Active manipulation induced more intense pain (p = 0.0089), increased lacrimation (ns) and more tactile, nociceptive and gustatory sensations (13 versus 1) compared to sham manipulation. No significant difference was observed for the other endpoints. Osteopathic manipulative treatment of the SPG may improve pharyngeal stability in obstructive sleep

Objectives. To quantify the association between performance-based manual wheelchair propulsion tests (20 m propulsion test, slalom test, and 6 min propulsion test), trunk and upper extremity (U/E) strength, and seated reaching capability and to establish which ones of these variables best predict performance at these tests. Methods. 15 individuals with a spinal cord injury (SCI) performed the three wheelchair propulsion tests prior to discharge from inpatient SCI rehabilitation. Trunk and U/E strength and seated reaching capability with unilateral hand support were also measured. Bivariate correlation and multiple linear regression analyses allowed determining the best determinants and predictors, respectively. Results. The performance at the three tests was moderately or strongly correlated with anterior and lateral flexion trunk strength, anterior seated reaching distance, and the shoulder, elbow, and handgrip strength measures. Shoulder adductor strength-weakest side explained 53% of the variance on the 20-meter propulsion test-maximum velocity. Shoulder adductor strength-strongest side and forward seated reaching distance explained 71% of the variance on the slalom test. Handgrip strength explained 52% of the variance on the 6-minute propulsion test. Conclusion. Performance at the manual wheelchair propulsion tests is explained by a combination of factors that should be considered in rehabilitation. PMID:27635262

The electrochemical deposition and reoxidation of Au on the basal plane of highly oriented pyrolytic graphite (HOPG) immersed in a 5 mM AuCl4-/6 M LiCl solution is reported. Scanning electron microscopy (SEM) and ex-situ atomic force microscopy (AFM) demonstrate that Au nanoparticles, ~3.3 nm in height and ~10 nm in diameter, are deposited at times less than ~1 s. The density of nanoparticles, 6 × 109 cm-2, is of the same order of magnitude as the surface point defect density, suggesting that point defects act as nucleation sites for Au electrodeposition. A small subset of the Au nanoparticles (~7%) continues to grow between 1 and 50 s, reaching a height of ~150 nm and a diameter of ~300 nm. At times greater than 50 s, the larger particles coalesce to yield a surface comprised of a low density (~2 × 106 cm-2) of micrometer-size Au crystallites surrounded by Au nanoparticles. Double potential step chronocoulometric experiments demonstrate that the electrodeposition of Au is chemically irreversible, a finding supported by SEM and AFM observations of Au nanoparticles and larger crystallites on the surface after long periods of reoxidation (>3600 s). Au nanoparticles are observed to be preferentially deposited on the upper plane of step edges, a consequence of the nonuniform surface electron density that results from relaxation of the graphite lattice near steps.

To evaluate the survival of Pediococcus acidilactici UL5 and its ability to produce pediocin PA-1 during transit in an artificial gastrointestinal tract (GIT). To investigate the physicochemical and biological stability of purified pediocin PA-1 under GIT conditions. Skim milk culture of Ped. acidilactici UL5 was fed to a dynamic gastrointestinal (GI) model known as TIM-1, comprising four compartments connected by computer-controlled peristaltic valves and simulating the human stomach, duodenum, jejunum and ileum. This strain tolerated a pH of 2·7 in the gastric compartment, while lower pH reduced its viability. Bile salts in the duodenal compartment brought a further 4-log reduction after 180 min of digestion, while high viable counts (up to 5 × 10(7) CFU ml(-1) fermented milk) of Ped. acidilactici were found in both the jejunal and ileal compartments. Pediococcus acidilactici recovered from all four compartments was able to produce pediocin at the same level as unstressed cells. The activity of the purified pediocin in the gastric compartment was slightly reduced after 90 min of gastric digestion, while no detectable activity was found in the duodenal, jejunal and ileal compartments during 5 h of digestion. HPLC analysis showed partial degradation of the pediocin peptide in the duodenal compartment and massive breakdown in the jejunal and ileal compartments. Pediococcus acidilactici UL5 showed high resistance to GIT conditions, and its ability to produce pediocin was not affected, suggesting its potential as a probiotic candidate. The physicochemical and biological stability of pediocin was significantly poor under GIT conditions. Pediococcus acidilactici UL5 appears to be a potential probiotic candidate because its capacity to produce pediocin PA-1 is not affected by the GI conditions as well as the strain shows an acceptable survival rate. Meanwhile, purified pediocin PA-1 losses activity during GIT transit; microcapsules could be used to deliver it to the

The present invention relates a wearable exoskeleton for a user having a torso with an upper limb to support motion of the said upper limb. The wearable exoskeleton comprises a first fixed frame mountable to the torso, an upper arm brace and a first group of actuators for moving the upper arm brace

Significant upper extremity length inequality is uncommon but can cause major functional problems. The ability to position and use the hand may be impaired by shortness of any of the long bones of the upper extremity. In many respects upper and lower extremity length problems are similar. They most commonly occur after injury to a growing bone and the treatment modalities utilized in the lower extremity may be applied to the upper extremity. These treatment options include epiphysiodesis, sho...

... standard barium upper GI series, which uses only barium a double-contrast upper GI series, which uses both air and ... evenly coat your upper GI tract with the barium. If you are having a double-contrast study, you will swallow gas-forming crystals that ...

The upper Columbia River, British Columbia, Canada, shows typical anastomosing morphology - multiple interconnected channels that enclose floodbasins - and lateral channel stability We analysed field data on hydraulic and sedimentary processes and show that the anastomosing morphology of the upper

Geomorphic analysis of hillshade images produced from aerial LiDAR data has been successful in identifying youthful fault traces. For example, the recently discovered Polaris fault just northwest of Lake Tahoe, California/Nevada, was recognized using LiDAR data that had been acquired by local government to assist land-use planning. Subsequent trenching by consultants under contract to the US Army Corps of Engineers has demonstrated Holocene displacement. The Polaris fault is inferred to be capable of generating a magnitude 6.4-6.9 earthquake, based on its apparent length and offset characteristics (Hunter and others, 2011, BSSA 101[3], 1162-1181). Dingler and others (2009, GSA Bull 121[7/8], 1089-1107) describe paleoseismic or geomorphic evidence for late Neogene displacement along other faults in the area, including the West Tahoe-Dollar Point, Stateline-North Tahoe, and Incline Village faults. We have used the seismo-lineament analysis method (SLAM; Cronin and others, 2008, Env Eng Geol 14[3], 199-219) to establish a tentative spatial correlation between each of the previously mentioned faults, as well as with segments of the Dog Valley fault system, and one or more earthquake(s). The ~18 earthquakes we have tentatively correlated with faults in the Tahoe-Truckee area occurred between 1966 and 2008, with magnitudes between 3 and ~6. Given the focal mechanism solution for a well-located shallow-focus earthquake, the nodal planes can be projected to Earth's surface as represented by a DEM, plus-or-minus the vertical and horizontal uncertainty in the focal location, to yield two seismo-lineament swaths. The trace of the fault that generated the earthquake is likely to be found within one of the two swaths [1] if the fault surface is emergent, and [2] if the fault surface is approximately planar in the vicinity of the focus. Seismo-lineaments from several of the earthquakes studied overlap in a manner that suggests they are associated with the same fault. The surface

Superconductor stability is at the core of the design of any successful cable and magnet application. This chapter reviews the initial understanding of the stability mechanism, and reviews matters of importance for stability such as the nature and magnitude of the perturbation spectrum and the cooling mechanisms. Various stability strategies are studied, providing criteria that depend on the desired design and operating conditions.

A 54-year-old male with partial denture underwent stereotactic radiosurgery with an infrared camera-guided system for a metastatic brain tumor arising from lung cancer. Although this method utilizes a biteplate mounted on the upper jaw to detect head movement, the patient only had four teeth in his upper jaw. In order to stabilize the biteplate, the maxillary denture was fixed to the biteplate with an autopolymerizing resin. In addition, the rest-occlusal position of the lower jaw was impressed on the inferior surface of the biteplate with an autopolymerizing resin. To assess reproducibility and stability, the distance between the left and right incus and left and right markers was measured during pre-planning, as well as before and after stereotactic irradiation. Wearing the biteplate ensures the accuracy of radiotherapy planning for the implementation of radiosurgery in patients who have many maxillary teeth missing. However, a large degree of error was observed when the biteplate was removed. (author)

The major passages and structures of the upper respiratory tract include the nose or nostrils, nasal cavity, mouth, throat (pharynx), and voice box (larynx). The respiratory system is lined with a mucous membrane that ...

Historically, assessment of acute right upper quadrant abdominal pain has been a considerable clinical challenge. While clinical findings and laboratory data frequently narrow the differential diagnosis, symptom overlap generally precludes definitive diagnosis among the various diseases causing acute right upper quadrant pain. Fortunately, the advent of newer diagnostic imaging modalities has greatly improved the rapidity and reliability of diagnosis in these patients. An additional challenge to the physician, with increased awareness of the importance of cost effectiveness in medicine, is to select appropriate diagnostic schema that rapidly establish accurate diagnoses in the most economical fashion possible. The dual goals of this discussion are to assess not only the accuracy of techniques used to evaluate patients with acute right upper quadrant pain, but also to seek out cost-effective, coordinated imaging techniques to achieve this goal

Symptomatically, patients often present with pain, swelling, and occasionally discoloration of the hand. In the presence of chronic swelling, it may be difficult to differentiate thrombosis from lymphedema, especially in patients who have undergone mastectomy. Noninvasive testing is helpful in differentiating between these two conditions, but venography offers definitive diagnosis. More importantly, venography demonstrates the site as well as the extent of the thrombotic process. Venography of the upper extremity was first introduced in 1931. Unlike the lower extremity, the use of this simple radiographic technique to evaluate venous problems of the upper extremity has received little attention

The article presents basics of the human upper limb’s anatomy, including skeletal system, joints and basic division of muscles in the limb. The biomechanics of the upper limb is introduced. The range of performed motions is depicted. The possible applications of anatomy and biomechanics of the upper limb are shown.

Herbaceous lycopsids are often overlooked in palaeobotanical studies because of problems of morphological interpretation and identification. The literature on Euramerican Upper Carboniferous herbaceous lycopsids is reviewed on those species referred to the genera Selaginellites, Lycopodites, Paurodendron, Carinostrobus, Miadesmia, Spencerites and the identification of some specimens is challenged. The stratigraphical range of these lycopsids and those of dispersed spores referable to them are also reviewed and suggestions are given for the relatively late appearance of many of these lycopsids in the Euramerican Coal Measures swamps. It is suggested that anisophyllous Selaginella-like lycopsids made their first appearance in the Bolsovian (ex Westphalian C) of the Saar-Lorraine intramontane basin. Evidence from studies of coal balls and dispersed spore assemblages confirm that herbaceous lycopsids were most abundantly present in open-moor communities. Certain species of these herbaceous lycopsids, the Selaginella-like ones, are included within the extant genus Selaginella Linnaeus. For this reason a number of new combinations are proposed.

It is demonstrated that full employment and sustainable development not necessarily are conflicting goals. On the other hand macroeconomic stability cannot be obtained without a deliberate labour sharing policy and a shift in the composition of private consumption away from traditional material...

Full Text Available Abstract Background Solutions containing high macromolecule concentrations are predicted to affect a number of protein properties compared to those properties in dilute solution. In cells, these macromolecular crowders have a large range of sizes and can occupy 30% or more of the available volume. We chose to study the stability and ps-ns internal dynamics of a globular protein whose radius is ~2 nm when crowded by a synthetic microgel composed of poly(N-isopropylacrylamide-co-acrylic acid with particle radii of ~300 nm. Results Our studies revealed no change in protein rotational or ps-ns backbone dynamics and only mild (~0.5 kcal/mol at 37°C, pH 5.4 stabilization at a volume occupancy of 70%, which approaches the occupancy of closely packing spheres. The lack of change in rotational dynamics indicates the absence of strong crowder-protein interactions. Conclusions Our observations are explained by the large size discrepancy between the protein and crowders and by the internal structure of the microgels, which provide interstitial spaces and internal pores where the protein can exist in a dilute solution-like environment. In summary, microgels that interact weakly with proteins do not strongly influence protein dynamics or stability because these large microgels constitute an upper size limit on crowding effects.

We show that there is a low T-upper bound for the class of K-trivial sets, namely those which are weak from the point of view of algorithmic randomness. This result is a special case of a more general characterization of ideals in Δ02 T-degrees for which there is a low T-upper bound.

BACKGROUND: Tranexamic acid may reduce upper gastrointestinal bleeding and stabilize patients before endoscopic treatments. AIM: To review randomized trials on tranexamic acid for upper gastrointestinal bleeding. METHODS: Manual and electronic searches of The Cochrane Library, MEDLINE, EMBASE...... were unclearly reported. Data from three of the included trials suggested that tranexamic acid did not significantly increase the risk of thromboembolic disease. CONCLUSIONS: The present review suggests that tranexamic acid may reduce all-cause mortality. However, because of limitations in the internal...... and external validity of included trials, additional evidence is needed before treatment recommendations can be made Udgivelsesdato: 2008/5...

Tumors located in the upper/upper inner quadrant of the breast warrant more attention. A small lesion relative to the size of breast in this location may be resolved by performing a level I oncoplastic technique. However, a wide excision may significantly reduce the overall quality of the breast shape by distorting the visible breast line. From June 2012 to April 2015, 36 patients with breast cancer located in the upper/upper inner quadrant underwent breast-conservation surgery with matrix rotation mammoplasty. According to the size and location of the tumor relative to the nipple-areola complex, 11 patients underwent matrix rotation with periareolar de-epithelialization (donut group) and the other 25 underwent matrix rotation only (non-donut group). The cosmetic results were self-assessed by questionnaires. The average weights of the excised breast lumps in the donut and non-donut groups were 104.1 and 84.5 g, respectively. During the 3-year follow-up period, local recurrence was observed in one case and was managed with nipple-sparing mastectomy followed by breast reconstruction with prosthetic implants. In total, 31 patients (88.6%) ranked their postoperative result as either acceptable or satisfactory. The treated breasts were also self-evaluated by 27 patients (77.1%) to be nearly identical to or just slightly different from the untreated side. Matrix rotation is an easy breast-preserving technique for treating breast cancer located in the upper/upper inner quadrant of the breast that requires a relatively wide excision. With this technique, a larger breast tumor could be removed without compromising the breast appearance.

Full Text Available Tumors located in the upper/upper inner quadrant of the breast warrant more attention. A small lesion relative to the size of breast in this location may be resolved by performing a level I oncoplastic technique. However, a wide excision may significantly reduce the overall quality of the breast shape by distorting the visible breast line. From June 2012 to April 2015, 36 patients with breast cancer located in the upper/upper inner quadrant underwent breast-conservation surgery with matrix rotation mammoplasty. According to the size and location of the tumor relative to the nipple-areola complex, 11 patients underwent matrix rotation with periareolar de-epithelialization (donut group and the other 25 underwent matrix rotation only (non-donut group. The cosmetic results were self-assessed by questionnaires. The average weights of the excised breast lumps in the donut and non-donut groups were 104.1 and 84.5 g, respectively. During the 3-year follow-up period, local recurrence was observed in one case and was managed with nipple-sparing mastectomy followed by breast reconstruction with prosthetic implants. In total, 31 patients (88.6% ranked their postoperative result as either acceptable or satisfactory. The treated breasts were also self-evaluated by 27 patients (77.1% to be nearly identical to or just slightly different from the untreated side. Matrix rotation is an easy breast-preserving technique for treating breast cancer located in the upper/upper inner quadrant of the breast that requires a relatively wide excision. With this technique, a larger breast tumor could be removed without compromising the breast appearance.

The aim of this research was to verify the amount of horizontal and vertical movement and incisor inclination of upper incisors and correlate these with Edgewise and Alexander brackets use and the presence of overbite during anterior retraction in sliding mechanics. The sample was composed of 40 adult patients divided into 2 groups, treated with Edgewise and Alexander brackets (20 each) subdivided in 2 groups (10 each), according to the presence or absence of deep bite. Treatment consisted of 4 extraction cases with sliding mechanics with the 2 different brackets. Pre- and post-treatment cephalograms were measured and the values of interest submitted to descriptive statistical analysis, ANOVA at 5%, the Tukey test and Pearson's correlation. Upper incisor retraction was not related to the brackets used nor to the presence of deep bite, though lingual tipping was greater when Edgewise brackets were used and deep bite was absent. No statistically significant differences in upper incisor vertical movements were observed and no correlation was determined between upper incisor intrusion and lower incisor labial tipping in overbite correction or in upper incisor retraction and lower incisor labial tipping for overjet correction. Bracket prescription and its interaction with deep bite were significant and Edgewise brackets without deep bite showed the worst inclination control. It was concluded that bracket prescriptions are important to increase control of sliding mechanics.

Background/Aim: Upper gastrointestinal (GI) endoscopy now assumes a prominent role in the diagnosis and therapy of upper GI diseases. Some indications for upper gastrointestinal endoscopy include dyspepsia, dysphagia, peptic ulcer disease (PUD) and upper gastrointestinal bleeding. This study aimed to review the ...

To facilitate a deeper understanding of tensegrity structures, this book focuses on their two key design problems: self-equilibrium analysis and stability investigation. In particular, high symmetry properties of the structures are extensively utilized. Conditions for self-equilibrium as well as super-stability of tensegrity structures are presented in detail. An analytical method and an efficient numerical method are given for self-equilibrium analysis of tensegrity structures: the analytical method deals with symmetric structures and the numerical method guarantees super-stability. Utilizing group representation theory, the text further provides analytical super-stability conditions for the structures that are of dihedral as well as tetrahedral symmetry. This book not only serves as a reference for engineers and scientists but is also a useful source for upper-level undergraduate and graduate students. Keeping this objective in mind, the presentation of the book is self-contained and detailed, with an abund...

Upper gastrointestinal haemorrhage has a variety of causes (Table 1) and is the commonest complication of peptic ulceration and portal hypertension. Peptic ulceration in the duodenum or stomach and oesophageal varices are the conditions most often responsible for patients who have the potential to present.

Full Text Available Diplopia is an infrequent complication after blepharoplasty. Most of the cases are in its vertical form due to trauma of the extraocular muscles. In this article, we present a case of horizontal diplopia following cosmetic upper blepharoplasty; we review the literature on this unexpected complication and offer some recommendations to avoid it.

This thesis provides a description of the technical and medical aspects of arteriography of the upper extremity and an extensive analysis of the angiographic anatomy and pathology of 750 selective studies performed in more than 500 patients. A short historical review is provided of angiography as a whole and of arteriography of the hand in particular. The method of percutaneous transfemoral catheterization of the arteries of the upper extremity and particularly the arteries of the hand is considered, discussing the problems the angiographer encounters frequently, describing the angiographic complications which may occur and emphasizing the measures to keep them to a minimum. The use of vasodilators in hand angiography is discussed. A short description of the embryological patterns persisting in the arteries of the arm is included in order to understand the congenital variations of the arteries of the upper extremity. The angiographic patterns and clinical aspects of the most common pathological processes involving the arteries of the upper extremities are presented. Special attention is paid to the correlation between angiography and pathology. (Auth.)

Upper gastrointestinal haemorrhage has a variety of causes (Table 1) and is the commonest complication of peptic ulceration and portal hypertension. Peptic ulceration in the duo- denum or stomach and oesophageal varices are the conditions most often responsible for patients who have the potential to present.

There is evidence of a decreasing human occupation of the Upper Egyptian Nile valley during the MIS 5 to MIS 3 period. Whereas very large extraction sites of the Middle Stone Age have been recorded, only very few sites of the Upper Palaeolithic have been found. The best explanation of this fact is that during the Late Middle Stone Age and the Upper Palaeolithc there was nearly no need for raw materials because there was only a very restricted population present in Upper Egypt. From about 22 ka BP an important population increase is registered by the presence of numerous Late Palaeolithic sites. During the whole LGM there is abundant presence of humans along the Nile Valley in Upper Egypt. This population was mainly living from fishing. There seems to be an abrupt end of the Palaeolithic occupation after 12.8 ka BP. Until now, no sites were found in the Valley until some rare Epipaleolithic sites occur about 8.0 ka BP. It will be suggested that these population changes are influenced by the river Nile behaviour. The best interpretation of the observations in the Upper Egyptian Nile Valley is the hypothesis that at the same time that Nile flow was reduced because of the dryness in its source area, the impact of aeolian activity was increased over Northeast Africa. The increased aeolian activity by northern winds in the Fayum and Wadi Ryan during the LGM resulted in the accumulation of aeolian sand in the valley. That aeolian sand was transported along the western Nile valley cliffs until it was accumulated when the Nile Valley change it S-N direction, such as at Nag'Hammadi. At other places sand was invading the Nile valley, directly from the Western Desert, creating a damming of the Nile at several places such as Armant and Aswan. As Nile flow was quite reduced, the Nile was unable to erode all the incoming sand and the Nile water with its important clay content was dammed. At several places large lakes were created in the Nile Valley. Those lakes were an ideal

In light of the Paris Agreement which aims to keep global warming under 2 °C in the next century and considering the emission scenarios produced by the IPCC for the same time span, it is likely that to remain below that threshold some kind of geoengineering technique will have to be deployed. Amongst the different methods, the injection of sulfur into the stratosphere has received much attention considering its effectiveness and affordability. Aside from the rather well established surface cooling sulfate geoengineering (SG) would produce, the investigation on possible side-effects of this method is still ongoing. For instance, some recent studies have investigated the effect SG would have on upper tropospheric cirrus clouds, expecially on the homogenous freezing mechanisms that produces the ice particles (Kuebbeler et al., 2012). The goal of the present study is to better understand the effect of thermal and dynamical anomalies caused by SG on the formation of ice crystals via homogeneous freezing by comparing a complete SG simulation with a RCP4.5 reference case and with a number of sensitivity studies where atmospheric temperature changes in the upper tropospheric region are specified in a schematic way as a function of the aerosol driven stratospheric warming and mid-lower tropospheric cooling. These changes in the temperature profile tend to increase atmospheric stabilization, thus decreasing updraft and with it the amount of water vapor available for homogeneous freezing in the upper troposphere. However, what still needs to be assessed is the interaction between this dynamical effect and the thermal effects of tropospheric cooling (which would increase ice nucleation rates) and stratospheric warming (which would probably extend to the uppermost troposphere via SG aerosol gravitational settling, thus reducing ice nucleation rates), in order to understand how they combine together. Changes in ice clouds coverage could be important for SG, because cirrus ice

Stability analysis for rock wedges bounded by three planar discontinuities is a time-consuming procedure usually carried out by stereographic projection. An algorithm is presented which identifies the behavior mode for wedges and calculates the factor of safety more accurately than is possible by graphical methods. The upper and lower hemisphere stereographic projections also are plotted. This is the standard presentation format and it allows a visual check of the influence of assumed geometries and friction angles.

When in 1980 the Upper Danube Nature Park was founded as one of 65 nature sanctuaries in Germany there was great diversity of opinions concerning its intended character. The protected region consisting of a geologically outstanding landscape within central Europe is covering the first 80 km the upper Danube where the young river shortly after it's source in the Black Forest is breaking through the narrow canyons of the Jurassic rock plateau of the so-called Suebian Alps and also locates the subterranean passage where the stream is submerging from the surface for nearly ten miles. Since the purpose of nature preservation according to German las is closely combined with the rather contradicting aim of offering an attractive recreation area thus facing the immense impacts of modern mass tourism there are numerous problems which in the course of years have resulted in an intricate patterns of subtle management methods coping with the growing awareness of the ecological balance. (author)

Inverse dynamic methods have been widely used to estimate joint loads during manual wheelchair propulsion. However, the interpretation of 3D net joint moments and powers is not always straightforward. It has been suggested to use joint coordinate systems (expression of joint moment on anatomical axes) and the 3D angle between joint moment and angular velocity vectors (propulsion, resistance or stabilization joint configuration) for a better understanding of joint dynamics. Nine spinal cord injured subjects equipped with reflective markers propelled in a wheelchair with an instrumented wheel. Inverse dynamic results were interpreted using joint coordinate systems, 3D joint power and the 3D angle between the joint moment and joint angular velocity vectors at the three upper limb joints. The 3D angle was used to determine if the joints were predominantly driven (angle close to 0 or 180 degrees) or stabilized (angle close to 90 degrees ). The wrist and elbow joints are mainly in a stabilization configuration (angle close to 90 degrees ) with a combination of extension and ulnar deviation moments and an adduction moment respectively. The shoulder is in a propulsion configuration, but close to stabilization (angle hardly below 60 degrees ) with a combination of flexion and internal rotation moments. Stabilization configuration at the joints could partly explain the low mechanical efficiency of manual wheelchair propulsion and could give insight about injury risk at the wrist, elbow and shoulder joints. Copyright 2009 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Q-stars (the gravitational generalization of Q-balls, strongly bound bulk matter that an appear in field theories of strongly interacting hadrons) are the only known impact objects consistent with the known bulk structure of nuclei and chiral symmetry that evade the Rhoades-Ruffini upper bound of 3.2M circle-dot . Generic bounds are quite weak: M Q-star circle-dot . If, however, we assume that the 1.558 ms pulsar is a Q-star, equilibrium. A stability criteria of rotating fluids place a much stronger upper bound of M c ≤ 5.3M circle-dot on such models under certain special assumptions. This has important implications for heavy compact objects such as Cygnus X-1

The endoscopic insertion of an endoprosthesis is now a standard procedure in the ultimate palliation of malignant obstructing upper gastrointestinal and biliary malignancy. The commercially available prostheses and introducing devices are adequate for the majority of upper intestinal cancers. For

Rectal cancer constitutes one-third of all colorectal cancers, and the incidence in Denmark increasing. In 2012, 1.400 cases were registered, and of these 38% were located in the upper rectum. There have been several key advances in the optimal management of rectal cancer during the past decades, primarily by standardisation and improvement of the surgical procedure. There is now general agreement that the optimal surgical treatment involves the concept of total mesorectal excision and that a resection with tumour-free margins is crucial. Controversy exists as to whether total mesorectal excision (TME) is necessary for upper rectal cancers or if a partial mesorectal excision (PME) with mesorectal transection 5 cm below the tumour is adequate. Furthermore, there is no agreement as to whether surgery alone is sufficient or whether neoadjuvant radio- and/or chemotherapy should be administered for tumours of the upper rectum. This thesis aims to discuss aspects of the treatment of rectal cancer with regard to the adequacy of mesorectal excision and oncological outcome with a particular focus on cancer of the upper rectum. In study I, the extent and completeness of mesorectal excision was estimated by postoperative magnetic resonance imaging of the pelvis in patients with primary surgery for rectal cancer. In the 136 patients with post-operative MRI, inadvertent residual mesorectal tissue was evident in 40%, especially following PME, suggesting suboptimal surgery performed. Additionally in patients who had PME, the distal margin was found to be less than 3 cm in more than 50% of patients, suggesting a discrepancy between guidelines and the actual surgery performed. In study II, we estimated the risk of local recurrence in the previously audited cohort of patients, with a particular focus on patients with upper rectal cancer treated by PME and without neo-adjuvant therapy as standard. Using Kaplan-Meier analysis, the total three-year local recurrence rate was 7% with

To evaluate the effect of upper blepharoplasty on eyebrow height, accounting for ocular dominance, fat excision, change in MRD1, and degree of dermatochalasis. Retrospective review of patients undergoing upper blepharoplasty between January 2013 and July 2014. Patients with a prior history of ocular trauma, disease, and surgery were excluded. Digital photographs were analyzed using NIH ImageJ software to measure pre and postoperative eyebrow height at the medial, central, and lateral positions, MRD1, and dermatochalasis. Univariable comparisons of brow height and MRD1 were performed. A multivariate analysis was used to assess for the effect of percentage change in MRD1 and dermatochalasis and of ocular dominance and fat excision in mean percentage change of eyebrow height. Charts of 19 patients were reviewed. Mean age was 73.2 years (SD = 8.86). There were 9 male (47.4%) and 10 female (52.6%) patients. There were 11 right eye dominant (57.9%) and 8 left eye dominant (42.1%) patients. Then 13 patients (68.4%) underwent fat removal. A univariable comparison found insufficient evidence to suggest a significant change from 0 postoperatively in brow height at all positions. A multivariable comparison found insufficient evidence to suggest MRD1, ocular dominance, or dermatochalasis were significantly associated with mean percentage change in brow height at all positions with or without fat excision. Upper blepharoplasty does not change eyebrow height at the medial, central, or lateral positions, after accounting for any impact of ocular dominance, fat excision, change in MRD1, or degree of dermatochalasis.

The aim of this study was to examine students' (N = 579) achievement goal orientation profiles, the temporal stability of these profiles across the transition to upper secondary education, and profile differences in academic well-being (i.e., school value, school burnout, schoolwork engagement, satisfaction with educational choice). By means of…

The upper layer of the soil is the critical interface between the soil and the atmosphere and is the most dynamic in response to management practices. One of the soil properties is the stability of the aggregates because this property controls infiltration of water and exchange of gases. An aggregat...

This case report describes our therapeutic approach taken in a girl with eruption disturbance of the upper anterior teeth. Two supernumerary teeth were involved, which required a combination of orthodontic and surgical treatment. The initial situation in the upper anterior segment was characterized by two supernumerary mesial incisors, ectopic eruption of the distally located lateral incisors, and crowded tooth buds in the canine areas. Key decisions had to be made as to whether any teeth needed to be extracted and, if so, regarding the timing and sites of extraction. Removing teeth too early would have preempted a complete assessment of tooth quality, whereas late extraction would have carried a risk of eruption disturbance. Once the distal lateral incisors had erupted, the supernumerary mesial incisors were extracted and the central incisors (initially located in between) mesialized with a bracket appliance. Following space closure and mesialization of the lateral incisors, a functional appliance was used. Tooth 13 was erupting, while tooth 23 was displaced and subsequently aligned as part of the final bracket treatment. To successfully treat eruption disturbances, a careful diagnostic workup is essential, including informative radiographs, personalized treatment planning, and correct decision-making as to whether teeth need to be extracted and regarding the timing and sites of extraction. Finally, the eruption of the canines should be monitored.

Stability of Parallel Flows provides information pertinent to hydrodynamical stability. This book explores the stability problems that occur in various fields, including electronics, mechanics, oceanography, administration, economics, as well as naval and aeronautical engineering. Organized into two parts encompassing 10 chapters, this book starts with an overview of the general equations of a two-dimensional incompressible flow. This text then explores the stability of a laminar boundary layer and presents the equation of the inviscid approximation. Other chapters present the general equation

Nakivubo wetland, which has performed tertiary water treatment for Kampala city for the past 40 years, is ecologically stressed by agricultural and infrastructural developments. Field studies were carried out to assess the hydraulic loading, pollution profile, stability and water quality of this wetland. The upper and lower ...

Full Text Available The human face is composed of small functional and cosmetic units, of which the eyes and periocular region constitute the main point of focus in routine face-to-face interactions. This dynamic region plays a pivotal role in the expression of mood, emotion, and character, thus making it the most relevant component of the facial esthetic and functional unit. Any change in the periocular unit leads to facial imbalance and functional disharmony, leading both the young and the elderly to seek consultation, thus making blepharoplasty the surgical procedure of choice for both cosmetic and functional amelioration. The applied anatomy, indications of upper eyelid blepharoplasty, preoperative workup, surgical procedure, postoperative care, and complications would be discussed in detail in this review article.

Core strengthening and stability exercises have become key components of training programs for athletes of all levels. The core muscles act as a bridge between upper and lower limbs, and force is transferred from the core, often called the powerhouse, to the limbs. Stability initially requires maintenance of a neutral spine but must progress beyond the neutral zone in a controlled manner. Some studies have demonstrated a relationship between core stability and increased incidence of injury. A training program should start with exercises that isolate specific core muscles but must progress to include complex movements and incorporate other training principles.

Much progress has been made in attaining high confinement regimes in magnetic confinement devices. These operating modes tend to be transient, however, due to the onset of MHD instabilities, and their stabilization is critical for improved performance at steady state. This report describes the Feedback Stabilization Initiative (FSI), a broad-based, multi-institutional effort to develop and implement methods for raising the achievable plasma betas through active MHD feedback stabilization. A key element in this proposed effort is the Feedback Stabilization Experiment (FSX), a medium-sized, national facility that would be specifically dedicated to demonstrating beta improvement in reactor relevant plasmas by using a variety of MHD feedback stabilization schemes

Much progress has been made in attaining high confinement regimes in magnetic confinement devices. These operating modes tend to be transient, however, due to the onset of MHD instabilities, and their stabilization is critical for improved performance at steady state. This report describes the Feedback Stabilization Initiative (FSI), a broad-based, multi-institutional effort to develop and implement methods for raising the achievable plasma betas through active MHD feedback stabilization. A key element in this proposed effort is the Feedback Stabilization Experiment (FSX), a medium-sized, national facility that would be specifically dedicated to demonstrating beta improvement in reactor relevant plasmas by using a variety of MHD feedback stabilization schemes.

Abnormal upper limb function seriously impacts a patient's daily life. After receiving emergency treatment patient should receive function-rebuilding and recovery training. The objective of this study is to integrate IR-camera, an infrared emitter, with a conventional passive hand skateboard training device for conventional upper limb training and the training process is comprehensively recorded and analyzed. Patients participating in the occupational therapy have a binding band attached to hand skateboard on the table to guide the patient in moving the hand skateboard along the designated path to train the patient's upper limbs. Six people with normal upper limb function participated in the stability test. The device repeatability and test results were verified acceptable. Eight patients with abnormal upper limb function (their upper limb function was damaged due to stroke, MMSE > =27) were trained for 4 weeks. The patient scores in finishing rate and finishing time showed significant improvement. The paired T test results (satisfy p hand skateboard for upper limb training. The experiments show that the hardware of the proposed device no longer delays in response and can result in obvious clinical advances. The proposed device is verified worthy of promotion.

Upper limb apraxia, a disorder of higher motor cognition, is a common consequence of left-hemispheric stroke. Contrary to common assumption, apraxic deficits not only manifest themselves during clinical testing but also have delirious effects on the patients’ everyday life and rehabilitation. Thus, a reliable diagnosis and efficient treatment of upper limb apraxia is important to improve the patients’ prognosis after stroke. Nevertheless, to date, upper limb apraxia is still an underdiagnosed...

Ammonia (NH3) is the major alkaline trace gas in the troposphere. Neutralization of atmospheric acids, like HNO3 and H2SO4, leads to formation of ammonium nitrate and ammonium sulfate aerosols. Further, there are indications that NH3 may enhance nucleation of sulfuric acid aerosols by stabilization of sulfuric acid clusters. By far the largest source of ammonia is agricultural food production. Major global emissions are located in S-E Asia as e.g. shown by satellite nadir observations. Besides its importance with respect to air quality issues, an increase of ammonia emissions in the 21st century might lead to a significant climate radiative impact through aerosol formation. In spite of its significance, there is a lack of observational information on the global distribution of NH3 in the mid- and upper troposphere. Observational evidence, however, would be important for testing e.g. model results on the fate of ammonia from its source regions on ground to altitudes up to the tropopause. In this contribution we will show, to our knowledge, the first unequivocal detection of ammonia in the upper troposphere. This result has been achieved through analysis of infrared limb-emission observations performed with the MIPAS (Michelson Interferometer for Passive Atmospheric Sounding) instrument on board the Envisat satellite from 2002-2012. On a global scale, enhanced values of ammonia have been measured in the upper tropospheric region influenced by the Asian monsoon. We will present a quantitative analysis of the retrieved concentrations of NH3 including an error assessment and further retrieval diagnostics. The results will be discussed with respect to the variability of NH3 locally within the Asian monsoon region's upper troposphere and at different years. Further, we will show comparisons between global distributions of NH3 from published model simulations and our observational dataset from MIPAS.

Stabilization of enzymes is a key factor when using biocatalysis in practice. Each enzyme stability depends both on the structure of its molecule and on the effect of various environmental factors, thus, one of the methods of the enzyme stability preservation is the formation of optimal macromedium. Thus, water structure and enzyme hydration change in the presence of solvable additives that affects its stability and catalytic properties. The paper deals with a new method of stabilization of human thrombin developed by the authors. It is proposed to use some known organic-ligands which have ion group and different nonpolar hydrophobic groups instead of traditional additives (salts, aminoacids, polyols, polyethylene glycols etc.). Thrombin stabilization proceeds in the conditions something changed compared with traditional ones. Processes of thrombin stabilization by the above compound have been investigated, enzyme stability at different temperatures and long-term storage of diluted solutions of the preparation in different conditions have been studied. It has been established that rosselin and orange II are the most efficient ligands. Optimal finite concentrations of stabilizing agents make approximately 0.0012-0.0014 M which are rather low in the system thrombin-ligand. It has been found that diluted solutions of thrombin are more stable, than concentrated ones. In the latter case the process of autolysis is included that affects negatively the catalytic effect of the enzyme, as far as there occurs the change of thrombin molecule structure, especially of thrombin beta-chain sections, evoking conformational changes of some sites of its active centre. The experiments directed to increasing thrombin intensity in the presence of organic ligands rosselin and orange II are discussed in details. Special attention is given to autolytic method of thrombin inactivation. It is admitted on the basis of already obtained data that thrombin binding with organic ligands proceeds

Full Text Available State of the art upper limb prostheses offer up to six active DoFs (degrees of freedom and are controlled using different grip patterns. This low number of DoFs combined with a machine-human-interface which does not provide control over all DoFs separately result in a lack of usability for the patient. The aim of this novel upper limb prosthesis is both offering simplified control possibilities for changing grip patterns depending on the patients’ priorities and the improvement of grasp capability. Design development followed the design process requirements given by the European Medical Device Directive 93/42 ECC and was structured into the topics mechanics, software and drive technology. First user needs were identified by literature research and by patient feedback. Consequently, concepts were evaluated against technical and usability requirements. A first evaluation prototype with one active DoF per finger was manufactured. In a second step a test setup with two active DoF per finger was designed. The prototype is connected to an Android based smartphone application. Two main grip patterns can be preselected in the software application and afterwards changed and used by the EMG signal. Three different control algorithms can be selected: “all-day”, “fine” and “tired muscle”. Further parameters can be adjusted to customize the prosthesis to the patients’ needs. First patient feedback certified the prosthesis an improved level of handling compared to the existing devices. Using the two DoF test setup, the possibilities of finger control with a neural network are evaluated at the moment. In a first user feedback test, the smartphone based software application increased the device usability, e.g. the change within preselected grip patterns and the “tired muscle” algorithm. Although the overall software application was positively rated, the handling of the prosthesis itself needs to be proven within a patient study to be

Most of the understanding of the thermosphere resulted from the analysis of data accrued through the Atmosphere Explorer satellites, the Dynamics Explorer 2 satellite, and observations from rockets, balloons, and ground based instruments. However, new questions were posed by the data that have not yet been answered. The mesosphere and lower thermosphere have been less thoroughly studied because of the difficulty of accessibility on a global scale, and many rather fundamental characteristics of these regions are not well understood. A wide variety of measurement platforms can be used to implement various parts of a measurement strategy, but the major thrusts of the International Solar Terrestrial Physics Program would require Explorer-class missions. A remote sensing mission to explore the mesosphere and lower thermosphere and one and two Explorer-type spacecraft to enable a mission into the thermosphere itself would provide the essential components of a productive program of exploration of this important region of the upper atomsphere. Theoretical mission options are explored

Full Text Available We report on a 59-year old woman with three huge intrathoracal masses that were accidentally diagnosed when she consulted a physician for upper abdominal discomfort. A biopsy revealed that they were metastases of a coccygeal myxopapillary ependymoma, resected 20 years before. As neither resection, debulking, nor radiation therapy were considered to be indicated, systemic therapy with temozolomide was started. At the first evaluation after four months, the metastases had progressed. Imatinib delayed the progression, but had to be stopped after six months because of critical increased pleural effusion. Using the multikinase inhibitor sorafenib, the disease was stabilized and an acceptable quality of life could be obtained for one year.

This longitudinal study examined five indices of stability and change in Internet addiction: structural stability, mean-level stability, differential stability, individual-level stability, and ipsative stability. The study sample was 351 undergraduate students from end of freshman year to end of junior year. Convergent findings revealed stability…

of a well-characterized small vicinity, whereas the second control action asymptotically brings the whole state of the system to the origin. The corresponding closed-loop stability analysis uses standard linear stability arguments as well as the traditional Lyapunov method and the LaSalle's theorem. Our proposed control law ensures global stability of the system in the upper half plane. We illustrate the effectiveness of the proposed control strategy via numerical simulations.

This book offers an integrated introduction to the topic of stability and vibration. Strikingly, it describes stability as a function of boundary conditions and eigenfrequency as a function of both boundary conditions and column force. Based on a post graduate course held by the author at the Uni......This book offers an integrated introduction to the topic of stability and vibration. Strikingly, it describes stability as a function of boundary conditions and eigenfrequency as a function of both boundary conditions and column force. Based on a post graduate course held by the author...... and their derivation, thus stimulating them to write interactive and dynamic programs to analyze instability and vibrational modes....

to life at high temperatures so are their enzymes, as a result the high stability is accompanied by low activity at moderate temperatures. Thus, much effort had been put into decoding the mechanisms behind the high stability of the thermophilic enzymes. The hope is to enable scientist to design enzymes...... in the high stability of hyperthermophilic enzymes. The thesis starts with an introduction to the field of protein and enzyme stability with special focus on the thermophilic and hyperthermophilic enzymes and proteins. After the introduction three original research manuscripts present the experimental data...

The college education of upper-class youth facilitates the renewal of the upper class, since colleges give their students the personality, values, and personal contacts needed to manage the modern corporation. Higher education should equalize both cognitive and noncognitive gains for all social classes. (Author/JM)

Although electromagnetism is an important component of upper secondary school physics syllabuses in many countries, there has been relatively little research on students' understanding of the topic. A written test consisting of 16 diagnostic questions was developed and used to survey the understanding of electromagnetism of upper secondary school…

Upper gastrointestinal fiberendoscopy in pediatric patients is done safely and under local anesthesia in most instances. This study of 47 children confirmed the value of fiberendoscopy in establishing the etiology of upper gastrointestinal hemorrhage and the presence of esophageal varices. It also contributed significantly to the management of patients with disphagia, pyrosis, epigastric pain, and ingestion of foreign bodies. No significant morbidity was caused.

We update the upper bound on the lightest CP even Higgs mass in the NMSSM, which is given as a function of tanβ and λ. We include the available one and two loop corrections to the NMSSM Higgs masses, and constraints from the absence of Landau singularities below the GUT scale as well as from the stability of the NMSSM Higgs potential. For m top varying between 171.4 and 178 GeV, squark masses of 1 TeV and maximal mixing the upper bound is assumed near tanβ ∼ 2 and varies between 139.9 and 141.4 GeV

The Upper Mississippi River System (UMRS), the navigable part of the Upper Mississippi and Illinois Rivers, is a diverse ecosystem that contains river channels, tributaries, shallow-water wetlands, backwater lakes, and flood-plain forests. Approximately 10,000 years of geologic and hydrographic history exist within the UMRS. Because it maintains crucial wildlife and fish habitats, the dynamic ecosystems of the Upper Mississippi River Basin and its tributaries are contingent on the adjacent flood plains and water-level fluctuations of the Mississippi River. Separate data for flood-plain elevation (lidar) and riverbed elevation (bathymetry) were collected on the UMRS by the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers’ (USACE) Upper Mississippi River Restoration (UMRR) Program. Using the two elevation datasets, the U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) Upper Midwest Environmental Sciences Center (UMESC) developed a systemic topobathy dataset.

The purpose of this study is to characterise the injuries, outcomes, and disabling conditions of the isolated, combat-related upper extremity amputees in comparison to the isolated lower extremity amputees and the general amputee population. A retrospective study of all major extremity amputations sustained by the US military service members from 1 October 2001 to 30 July 2011 was conducted. Data from the Department of Defense Trauma Registry, the Armed Forces Health Longitudinal Technology Application, and the Physical Evaluation Board Liaison Offices were queried in order to obtain injury characteristics, demographic information, treatment characteristics, and disability outcome data. A total of 1315 service members who sustained 1631 amputations were identified; of these, 173 service members were identified as sustaining an isolated upper extremity amputation. Isolated upper extremity and isolated lower extremity amputees had similar Injury Severity Scores (21 vs. 20). There were significantly more non-battle-related upper extremity amputees than the analysed general amputation population (39% vs. 14%). Isolated upper extremity amputees had significantly greater combined disability rating (82.9% vs. 62.3%) and were more likely to receive a disability rating >80% (69% vs. 53%). No upper extremity amputees were found fit for duty; only 12 (8.3%) were allowed continuation on active duty; and significantly more upper extremity amputees were permanently retired than lower extremity amputees (82% vs. 74%). The most common non-upper extremity amputation-related disabling condition was post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) (17%). Upper extremity amputees were significantly more likely to have disability from PTSD, 13% vs. 8%, and loss of nerve function, 11% vs. 6%, than the general amputee population. Upper extremity amputees account for 14% of all amputees during the Operation Enduring Freedom and Operation Iraqi Freedom conflicts. These amputees have significant

The conformational stability of calreticulin was investigated. Apparent unfolding temperatures (T-m) increased from 31 degrees C at pH 5 to 51 degrees C at pH 9, but electrophoretic analysis revealed that calreticulin oligomerized instead of unfolding. Structural analyses showed that the single C......-terminal a-helix was of major importance to the conformational stability of calreticulin....

This book offers an integrated introduction to the topic of stability and vibration. Strikingly, it describes stability as a function of boundary conditions and eigenfrequency as a function of both boundary conditions and column force. Based on a post graduate course held by the author...

The question of microwave stability at transition is revisited using a Vlasov approach retaining higher order terms in the particle dynamics near the transition energy. A dispersion relation is derived which can be solved numerically for the complex frequency in terms of the longitudinal impedance and other beam parameters. Stability near transition is examined and compared with simulation results

In the present review, we address the relationship between attention and visual stability. Even though with each eye, head and body movement the retinal image changes dramatically, we perceive the world as stable and are able to perform visually guided actions. However, visual stability is not as

The conformational stability of calreticulin was investigated. Apparent unfolding temperatures (Tm) increased from 31 degrees C at pH 5 to 51 degrees C at pH 9, but electrophoretic analysis revealed that calreticulin oligomerized instead of unfolding. Structural analyses showed that the single C......-terminal alpha-helix was of major importance to the conformational stability of calreticulin....

This monograph investigates violations of statistical stability of physical events, variables, and processes and develops a new physical-mathematical theory taking into consideration such violations – the theory of hyper-random phenomena. There are five parts. The first describes the phenomenon of statistical stability and its features, and develops methods for detecting violations of statistical stability, in particular when data is limited. The second part presents several examples of real processes of different physical nature and demonstrates the violation of statistical stability over broad observation intervals. The third part outlines the mathematical foundations of the theory of hyper-random phenomena, while the fourth develops the foundations of the mathematical analysis of divergent and many-valued functions. The fifth part contains theoretical and experimental studies of statistical laws where there is violation of statistical stability. The monograph should be of particular interest to engineers...

The low upper shelf toughness issue has a long history, beginning with the choice of materials for the submerged arc welding process, but also potentially involving the use of A302-B plate. Criteria for vessels containing low upper shelf materials have usually been expressed in terms of the Charpy upper shelf impact energy. Although these criteria have had several different bases, the range of limiting values for wall thicknesses approaching 229 mm (9 in.) has remained between 54 to 68J (40 to 50 ft lbs). Allowable values for vessels with thinner walls and/or only circumferential low upper shelf welds might conceivably be less. A decision on criteria to be incorporated into the ASME Code is now being made. Choices to be made concern the method for estimating the decrease in upper shelf impact energy, flaw geometry for circumferential welds, statistical significance of toughness values, the choice between J D and J M , reference pressure, safety factors and the inclusion of tearing stability calculations by means of R curve extrapolation. NRC research programs have contributed significantly to the resolution of the low upper shelf issue. These programs embrace all aspects of the issue, including material characterization, large scale testing, analysis and criteria development. 52 refs., 5 figs

The goal of this study is to assess how reflexes and intrinsic properties contribute to low-back stabilization and modulate with conditions. Upper body sway was evoked by anterior–posterior platform translations, while subjects were seated with a restrained pelvis and free upper body. Kinematic

Full Text Available Metapopulation dynamics are jointly regulated by local and spatial factors. These factors may affect the dynamics of local populations and of the entire metapopulation differently. Previous studies have shown that dispersal can stabilize local populations; however, as dispersal also tends to increase spatial synchrony, its net effect on metapopulation stability has been controversial. Here we present a simple metapopulation model to study how dispersal, in interaction with other spatial and local processes, affects the temporal variability of metapopulations in a stochastic environment. Our results show that in homogeneous metapopulations, the local stabilizing and spatial synchronizing effects of dispersal cancel each other out, such that dispersal has no effect on metapopulation variability. This result is robust to moderate heterogeneities in local and spatial parameters. When local and spatial dynamics exhibit high heterogeneities, however, dispersal can either stabilize or destabilize metapopulation dynamics through various mechanisms. Our findings have important theoretical and practical implications. We show that dispersal functions as a form of spatial intraspecific mutualism in metapopulation dynamics and that its effect on metapopulation stability is opposite to that of interspecific competition on local community stability. Our results also suggest that conservation corridors should be designed with appreciation of spatial heterogeneities in population dynamics in order to maximize metapopulation stability.

We show that a possible resolution to the stabilization of an extra spatial dimension (radion) can be obtained solely in the context of gravitational dynamics itself without the necessity of introducing any external stabilizing field. In this scenario the stabilized value of the radion field gets determined in terms of the parameters appearing in the higher curvature gravitational action. Furthermore, the mass of the radion field and its coupling to the standard model fields are found to be in the weak scale implying possible signatures in the TeV scale colliders. Some resulting implications are also discussed. (orig.)

To evaluate the safety and efficacy of botulinum toxin type A for treatment of eyelid retraction resulting from thyroid eye disease (TED) during the inflammatory phase of the condition. In this prospective, nonrandomized case series, 18 patients with inflammatory eyelid retraction caused by active TED received botulinum toxin type A injection (10, 5, or 2.5 U) for treatment of upper eyelid retraction. Botulinum toxin type A (Allergan, Irvine, CA, U.S.A.) was injected transconjunctivally just above the superior tarsal border in the elevator complex of the upper eyelid. Seventeen of 18 patients (94%) demonstrated a reduced marginal reflex distance (MRD1) after botulinum toxin injection. The average change in MRD1 of the treated eyelid after injection was -2.35 mm (range, 0 to -8.0 mm). Of the 27 eyelids injected, 33% had a 0- to 1-mm drop in eyelid height, 30% had a 1.5- to 2-mm decrease, 22% had a 2.5- to 3-mm decrease, and 15% had a greater than 3-mm decrease in eyelid height. None of the treated eyelids were noted to increase in height. One patient showed no alteration inafter treatment. One patient had clinically MRD1 significant ptosis and one patient reported worsening of preexisting diplopia after injection. Three patients undergoing unilateral injection had relative contralateral eyelid elevation. All untoward effects resolved spontaneously without sequelae. : Botulinum toxin type A may be used in the inflammatory stage of thyroid eye disease to improve upper eyelid retraction. Individual response to treatment is variable, but this modality should be considered as a temporizing measure until stability for surgery is reached.

Full Text Available Fossil specimens referred to the extant Atlantic-Mediterranean species Amygdalum politum (Verrill & Smith, 1880, occur in Upper Pliocene mudstones cropping out in northern Puglia (Southern Italy. Amygdalum is an infaunal mytilid living within a cocoon made of byssal threads, sediment and mucus. The examined material occurs in grey clayey silt, mainly massive, and in stratified yellowish clayey silt. The specimens from the grey mudstones are closed, strongly compressed, deformed and obliquely oriented. Also in the yellowish mudstones the shells are closed, compressed and intensely fractured but are concordant to the bedding plane and concentrated in a single pavement. On a whole, the associated macrofauna is indicative of upper slope tending to outer shelf environments. Taphonomic and palaeoecologic observations, together with the few available literature data, suggest that this bivalve lived in a particularly fluid substrate, keeping its vertical life position thanks to the stabilizing effect of the byssal cocoon. Since this species was able to cope with high turbidity waters, as suggested by taphonomic observation, it can be argued that the byssal cocoon acted also as a filter for the inhalant current.

Background: It is believed that the study of personality has the potentials to enhance our prognostic abilities and can better to expose the etiology of mental illness through the relationship of revealed mechanisms. The focus of this study was to investigate and compare the habitual patterns of behavior, thought and emotions of upper and lower limb physically disabled students in terms of personality traits. Methods: This cross sectional study consisted of 100 upper limbs and lower limbs disabled students taken from Kingston school Inclusive Education System Abottabad, Mashal special education system Haripur, Syed Ahmed Shaheed special education center Abottabad, Al-Munir Foundation Mansehra and Hera Special Education System Haripur and 100 normal students taken from Islamic International School Abottabad, Falcon Public School Haripur, Iqra Academy Mansehra and Alhamd International School Haripur of Hazara Division by purposive sampling technique. This study was conducted during the month of June 2013 to May 2014. Goldberg five big personality scale was used for measuring personality traits of physically disabled and normal students. Results: The significant difference of personality traits scores between physically disabled students (M = 139.2, SD=12.0) and normal students (M=184.5, SD=13.2), t (198) =25.3, pStability and Openness to Experience. (author)

The aim of this study was to evaluate how the fixed furniture dimensions match with students' anthropometry and to describe head, upper back and upper limbs postures and movements. Evaluation was performed in 48 students from a Brazilian state school. Furniture dimensions were measured with metric tape, movements and postures by inclinometers (Logger Tecknologi, Åkarp, Sweden). Seat height was high for 21% and low for 36% of the students; seat length was short for 45% and long for 9% and table height was high for 53% and low for 28%. Regression analysis showed that seat/popliteal height quotient is explained by 90th percentile of upper back inclination (β=0.410) and 90th percentile of right upper arm elevation (β=-0.293). For seat/thigh length quotient the significant variables were 90th percentile of upper back velocity (β=-0.282) and 90th percentile of right upper arm elevation (β=0.410). This study showed a relationship between furniture mismatch and postural overload. When the seat height is low students increase upper back left inclination and right upper arm elevation; when the seat is short students decrease the upper back flexion velocity and increase right upper arm elevation.

National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, Department of Commerce — The area of coverage consists of 192 square miles of benthic habitat mapped from 2005 to 2007 in the Delaware River and Upper Delaware Bay. The bottom sediment map...

Abstract. In this paper, a solution of the Dirichlet problem on the upper half space for a fast growing continuous boundary function is constructed by the generalized Dirichlet integral with this boundary function.

National Aeronautics and Space Administration — The investigated region is called Upper Engadin and is situated in the Eastern part of the Swiss Alps. The area is characterized by a high situated valley floor with...

Acute and chronic upper respiratory conditions are common and expensive disorders with enormous impact on patient quality of life and society at large. Saline nasal irrigation (SNI), a therapy with roots in Ayurvedic medicine that bathes the nasal mucosa with in spray or liquid saline, has been used as adjunctive care for upper respiratory conditions. In liquid form, SNI has been found to be effective adjunctive care by the Cochrane Collaboration for symptoms associated with chronic rhinosinusitis. Less conclusive clinical trial evidence supports its use in spray and liquid forms as adjunctive treatment for mild-to-moderate allergic rhinitis and acute upper respiratory infections. Consensus or expert opinion recommendations exist for SNI as a treatment for a variety of other conditions including rhinitis of pregnancy. SNI appears safe; side effects are minimal and transient. It can be recommended by clinicians to interested patients with a range of upper respiratory conditions in the context of patient education and printed instructional handouts. PMID:19904896

Unpredictable forces which perturb balance are frequently applied to the body through interaction between the upper limb and the environment. Lower limb muscles respond rapidly to these postural disturbances in a highly specific manner. We have shown that the muscle activation patterns of lower limb muscles are organized in a direction specific manner which changes with lower limb stability. Ankle muscles change their activity within 80 ms of the onset of a force perturbation applied to the h...

Core stability is essential for proper load balance within the spine, pelvis, and kinetic chain. The so-called core is the group of trunk muscles that surround the spine and abdominal viscera. Abdominal, gluteal, hip girdle, paraspinal, and other muscles work in concert to provide spinal stability. Core stability and its motor control have been shown to be imperative for initiation of functional limb movements, as needed in athletics. Sports medicine practitioners use core strengthening techniques to improve performance and prevent injury. Core strengthening, often called lumbar stabilization, also has been used as a therapeutic exercise treatment regimen for low back pain conditions. This article summarizes the anatomy of the core, the progression of core strengthening, the available evidence for its theoretical construct, and its efficacy in musculoskeletal conditions.

.... To assess the stability of relative equilibria in the resultant feedback systems, they extend the energy-momentum block-diagonalization theorem of Simo, Lewis, Posbergh, and Marsden to gyroscopic systems with symmetry...

This Blend Plan documents the feed material items that are stored in 2736-2 vaults, the 2736-ZB 638 cage, the 192C vault, and the 225 vault that will be processed through the thermal stabilization furnaces. The purpose of thermal stabilization is to heat the material to 1000 degrees Celsius to drive off all water and leave the plutonium and/or uranium as oxides. The stabilized material will be sampled to determine the Loss On Ignition (LOI) or percent water. The stabilized material must meet water content or LOI of less than 0.5% to be acceptable for storage under DOE-STD-3013-99 specifications. Out of specification material will be recycled through the furnaces until the water or LOI limits are met.

Quadrotor stability is one of the most topical researches worldwide. It is due to the simplicity, availability and cost of such platform. This miniature aerial vehicle is highly manoeuvrable, straight forward to use and to maintain. It can be deployed to perform wide variety of tasks. On the other hand, the quadrotor suffers from non-stability, which makes it unreliable, especially when flying on low speed, high altitude and in windy circumstances. This paper discusses the improvement of the quadrotor by adding a stabilizing mechanism working as a passive breaking system in sharp and spontaneous turns. The mechanism is described and simulated as a standalone module. The end result represents the determination of the stiffness coefficient of the stabilizing actuator using fuzzy logic controller.

The Contagion and Stability Game provided a forum% for discussing the military, economic, informational, political, and medical aspects of contagion in an environmentally stressed region of the less-developed world-South Asia...

Full Text Available Policies or institutions (built into an economic system that automatically tend to dampen economic cycle fluctuations in income, employment, etc., without direct government intervention. For example, in boom times, progressive income tax automatically reduces money supply as incomes and spendings rise. Similarly, in recessionary times, payment of unemployment benefits injects more money in the system and stimulates demand. Also called automatic stabilizers or built-in stabilizers.

High-frequency oscillators for the generation of microwaves, particularly a system for stabilizing frequency-modulated klystron oscillators of the reflex type, are described. The system takos advantage of the fact that a change in oscillator frequency will alter the normal phase displacement between the cavity and its modulator, creating an error voltage which is utilized to regulate the frequency of the oscillator and stabilize it.

This Functional Design Criteria (FDC) addresses remediation of the plutonium-bearing solutions currently in inventory at the Plutonium Finishing Plant (PFP). The recommendation from the Environmental Impact Statement (EIS) is that the solutions be treated thermally and stabilized as a solid for long term storage. For solutions which are not discardable, the baseline plan is to utilize a denitration process to stabilize the solutions prior to packaging for storage.

Three essays on financial system stability. The first paper explores the stability of core-periphery interbank networks in a static simulation framework. The results are then compared to a meanfield approximation. While this proves accurate in early rounds of default, precision of this approximation suffers as the simulation evolves. The second essay contributes to the empirical literature on real-world economic and financial networks. We explore the topology of the Spanish bank-firm credi...

Throughout the 20th and early 21st centuries, deterrence and arms control have been cornerstones of strategic stability between the superpowers. However, the weaponization of the cyber realm by State actors and the multipolar nature of cyber conflict now undermines that stability. Strategic stability is the state in which nations believe that if they act aggressively to undermine U.S. national interests and the post-World War II liberal democratic order, the consequences will outweigh the benefits. The sense of lawlessness and lack of consequences in the cyber realm embolden States to be more aggressive in taking actions that undermine stability. Accordingly, this paper examines 1) the role of deterrence and arms control in securing cyber stability, and 2) the limitations and challenges associated with these traditional national security paradigms as applied to this emerging threat domain. This paper demonstrates that many 20th-century deterrence and arms control concepts are not particularly applicable in the cyber realm. However, they are not entirely irrelevant. The United States can distill lessons learned from this rich deterrence and arms control experience to develop and deploy a strategy to advance cyber stability.

High-order spatial discretizations of hyperbolic PDEs are often designed to have strong stability properties, such as monotonicity. We study explicit multistep Runge-Kutta strong stability preserving (SSP) time integration methods for use with such discretizations. We prove an upper bound on the SSP coefficient of explicit multistep Runge-Kutta methods of order two and above. Numerical optimization is used to find optimized explicit methods of up to five steps, eight stages, and tenth order. These methods are tested on the linear advection and nonlinear Buckley-Leverett equations, and the results for the observed total variation diminishing and/or positivity preserving time-step are presented.

A common problem in astrophysics is determining how bright a source could be and still not be detected in an observation. Despite the simplicity with which the problem can be stated, the solution involves complicated statistical issues that require careful analysis. In contrast to the more familiar confidence bound, this concept has never been formally analyzed, leading to a great variety of often ad hoc solutions. Here we formulate and describe the problem in a self-consistent manner. Detection significance is usually defined by the acceptable proportion of false positives (background fluctuations that are claimed as detections, or Type I error), and we invoke the complementary concept of false negatives (real sources that go undetected, or Type II error), based on the statistical power of a test, to compute an upper limit to the detectable source intensity. To determine the minimum intensity that a source must have for it to be detected, we first define a detection threshold and then compute the probabilities of detecting sources of various intensities at the given threshold. The intensity that corresponds to the specified Type II error probability defines that minimum intensity and is identified as the upper limit. Thus, an upper limit is a characteristic of the detection procedure rather than the strength of any particular source. It should not be confused with confidence intervals or other estimates of source intensity. This is particularly important given the large number of catalogs that are being generated from increasingly sensitive surveys. We discuss, with examples, the differences between these upper limits and confidence bounds. Both measures are useful quantities that should be reported in order to extract the most science from catalogs, though they answer different statistical questions: an upper bound describes an inference range on the source intensity, while an upper limit calibrates the detection process. We provide a recipe for computing upper

Recent studies have examined tropical upper tropospheric warming by comparing coupled atmosphere–ocean global circulation model (GCM) simulations from Phase 3 of the Coupled Model Intercomparison Project (CMIP3) with satellite and radiosonde observations of warming in the tropical upper troposphere relative to the lower-middle troposphere. These studies showed that models tended to overestimate increases in static stability between the upper and lower-middle troposphere. We revisit this issue using atmospheric GCMs with prescribed historical sea surface temperatures (SSTs) and coupled atmosphere–ocean GCMs that participated in the latest model intercomparison project, CMIP5. It is demonstrated that even with historical SSTs as a boundary condition, most atmospheric models exhibit excessive tropical upper tropospheric warming relative to the lower-middle troposphere as compared with satellite-borne microwave sounding unit measurements. It is also shown that the results from CMIP5 coupled atmosphere–ocean GCMs are similar to findings from CMIP3 coupled GCMs. The apparent model-observational difference for tropical upper tropospheric warming represents an important problem, but it is not clear whether the difference is a result of common biases in GCMs, biases in observational datasets, or both. (letter)

Although airfoil stall has been widely investigated, the origin of this phenomenon, which manifests as a sudden drop of lift, is still not clearly understood. In the specific case of static stall, multiple steady solutions have been identified experimentally and numerically around the stall angle. We are interested here in investigating the stability of these steady solutions so as to first model and then control the dynamics. The study is performed on a 2D helicopter blade airfoil OA209 at low Mach number, M 0.2 and high Reynolds number, Re 1.8 ×106 . Steady RANS computation using a Spalart-Allmaras model is coupled with continuation methods (pseudo-arclength and Newton's method) to obtain steady states for several angles of incidence. The results show one upper branch (high lift), one lower branch (low lift) connected by a middle branch, characterizing an hysteresis phenomenon. A linear stability analysis performed around these equilibrium states highlights a mode responsible for stall, which starts with a low frequency oscillation. A bifurcation scenario is deduced from the behaviour of this mode. To shed light on the nonlinear behavior, a low order nonlinear model is created with the same linear stability behavior as that observed for that airfoil.

Full Text Available In Facioscapulohumeral muscular dystrophy (FSHD, the upper girdle is early involved and often difficult to assess only relying on physical examination. Our aim was to evaluate the pattern and degree of involvement of upper girdle muscles in FSHD compared with other muscle diseases with scapular girdle impairment.We propose an MRI protocol evaluating neck and upper girdle muscles. One hundred-eight consecutive symptomatic FSHD patients and 45 patients affected by muscular dystrophies and myopathies with prominent upper girdle involvement underwent this protocol. Acquired scans were retrospectively analyzed.The trapezius (100% of the patients and serratus anterior (85% of the patients were the most and earliest affected muscles in FSHD, followed by the latissimus dorsi and pectoralis major, whilst spinati and subscapularis (involved in less than 4% of the patients were consistently spared even in late disease stages. Asymmetry and hyperintensities on short-tau inversion recovery (STIR sequences were common features, and STIR hyperintensities could also be found in muscles not showing signs of fatty replacement. The overall involvement appears to be disease-specific in FSHD as it significantly differed from that encountered in the other myopathies.The detailed knowledge of single muscle involvement provides useful information for correctly evaluating patients' motor function and to set a baseline for natural history studies. Upper girdle imaging can also be used as an additional tool helpful in supporting the diagnosis of FSHD in unclear situations, and may contribute with hints on the currently largely unknown molecular pathogenesis of this disease.

A youthful female upper eyelid contour includes a concave medial portion of the upper eyelid along with a fuller, convex lateral eyelid. The skin in the lateral eyelid is tight without hooding. This is a sigmoid shape in 3-dimensional terms. With aging, fatty herniation medially along with redundant, hooded, ptotic lateral skin creates the exact opposite eyelid curve. The sigmoid blepharoplasty is a novel surgical technique that recreates a youthful upper eyelid. A retrospective chart review of 142 female patients who underwent the sigmoid blepharoplasty was conducted. To recreate a youthful eyelid in 3 dimensions, the medial eyelid concavity is achieved by removing a strip of medial orbicularis oculi muscle along with selective medial fat removal. Excess skin and hooding is removed, and fat grafts from the medial eyelid are placed laterally below the muscle to achieve a fullness and tight skin. All patients achieved a pleasant, rejuvenated upper eyelid as assessed by photographs and chart records. The sigmoid blepharoplasty restored a youthful eyelid appearance by recreating a concave medial eyelid and fuller lateral eyelid. There were no infections, and fat grafts took uniformly. The sigmoid upper eyelid blepharoplasty technique recreates a truly youthful eyelid with novel eyelid concepts. The surgery is safe and reproducible, and consistent results are achievable.

The upper extremity is vulnerable to injury during a rollover motor vehicle crash (MVC). There is some concern that positioning one's arm on a vehicle door/window eliminates the benefit of maintaining containment within a protective structure. Mangled extremities with associated vascular injuries have an amputation rate exceeding 40%. The primary goal was to describe the care process and outcome of patients requiring an emergent upper extremity amputation after a rollover MVC. All patients requiring an upper extremity amputation after a rollover MVC (2000-2008) were included. Patient demographics, injuries, and outcomes were analyzed. Seventeen patients required an upper extremity amputation after a rollover MVC (mean injury severity score = 23; hemodynamic instability at presentation = 29%). Injuries occurred on the side ipsilateral to the occupant vehicle position in 88% of cases. Most (76%) amputations occurred between May 1 and August 1 of their respective years, with 11 (65%) in the past 24 months. All amputations except one (replantation attempt) were completed within 24 hours. Concurrent operative procedures were performed in six (35%) patients, including three diagnostic peritoneal lavages, two laparotomies (splenectomies), one craniotomy, and one thoracotomy (atrial rupture). Mortality (12%) was a direct result of traumatic brain injuries. Temporary intravascular shunts were used before amputation in four (24%) patients. The majority (65%) of amputations were above the elbow joint. Blunt mangled upper extremities requiring completion amputations are most often caused by MVC rollovers. The risk of this injury is strongly associated with summer days and seems to be increasing in frequency.

Dr. Chandrasekhar's book received high praise when it first appeared in 1961 as part of Oxford University Press' International Series of Monographs on Physics. Since then it has been reprinted numerous times in its expensive hardcover format. This first lower-priced, sturdy paperback edition will be welcomed by graduate physics students and scientists familiar with Dr. Chandrasekhar's work, particularly in light of the resurgence of interest in the Rayleigh-Bénard problem. This book presents a most lucid introduction to the Rayleigh-Bénard problem: it has also been applauded for its thorough, clear coverage of the theory of instabilities causing convection. Dr. Chandrasekhar considers most of the typical problems in hydromagnetic stability, with the exception of viscous shear flow; a specialized domain deserving a book unto itself. Contents include: Rotation; Stability of More General Flows; Bénard Problem; Gravitational Equilibrium and Instability; Stability of a Magnetic Field; Thermal Instability of a L...

Full Text Available Upper extremity arterial injuries have lower amputation rates, but havehigher morbidity due to concomitant nerve injuries. The aim of this study isto characterize upper extremity arterial injuries. Upper extremity vascularinjuries was retrospectively reviewed in our hospital. The mean age was22,64 ±10,10. 0f 200 patients, there were 172 male. The most common causeof injury was penetrating objects (71 %. The second common cause wasgunshot wounds (21 %. The common area of injury was distal to brachialartery (71 %. The rate of associated venous injury was 9.5 %, nerve injury23 %, and bone fractures were seen in 13 %. Vascular reconstruction wastried in all cases. In one case of traumatic amputation, reimplantation wastried but failed. The rates of mortality and amputation were lower in upperextremity arterial injuries.

Two cross-sections of the western Mediterranean Neogene-to-present backarc basin are presented, in which geological and geophysical data of the Transmed project are tied to a new shear-wave tomography. Major results are i) the presence of a well stratified upper mantle beneath the older African continent, with a marked low-velocity layer between 130-200 km of depth; ii) the dilution of this layer within the younger western Mediterranean backarc basin to the north, and iii) the easterly raising of a shallower low-velocity layer from about 140 km to about 30 km in the Tyrrhenian active part of the backarc basin. These findings suggest upper mantle circulation in the western Mediterranean backarc basin, mostly easterly-directed and affecting the boundary between upper asthenosphere (LVZ) and lower asthenosphere, which undulates between about 180 km and 280 km. (author)

The paper suggests the concepts of an upper entropy and a lower entropy. We propose a new axiomatic definition, namely, upper entropy axioms, inspired by axioms of metric spaces, and also formulate lower entropy axioms. We also develop weak upper entropy axioms and weak lower entropy axioms. Their conditions are weaker than those of Shannon–Khinchin axioms and Tsallis axioms, while these conditions are stronger than those of the axiomatics based on the first three Shannon–Khinchin axioms. The subadditivity and strong subadditivity of entropy are obtained in the new axiomatics. Tsallis statistics is a special case of satisfying our axioms. Moreover, different forms of information measures, such as Shannon entropy, Daroczy entropy, Tsallis entropy and other entropies, can be unified under the same axiomatics

Hypnosis is a therapeutic technique that primarily involves attentive receptive concentration. Even though a small number of health professionals are trained in hypnosis and lingering myths and misconceptions associated with this method have hampered its widespread use to treat medical conditions, hypnotherapy has gained relevance as an effective treatment for irritable bowel syndrome not responsive to standard care. More recently, a few studies have addressed the potential influence of hypnosis on upper digestive function and disease. This paper reviews the efficacy of hypnosis in the modulation of upper digestive motor and secretory function. The present evidence of the effectiveness of hypnotherapy as a treatment for functional and organic diseases of the upper bowel is also summarized, coupled with a discussion of potential mechanisms of its therapeutic action. PMID:19009639

An upper dominating set in a graph is a minimal (with respect to set inclusion) dominating set of maximum cardinality.The problem of finding an upper dominating set is generally NP-hard, but can be solved in polynomial time in some restricted graph classes, such as P4-free graphs or 2K2-free graphs.For classes defined by finitely many forbidden induced subgraphs, the boundary separating difficult instances of the problem from polynomially solvable ones consists of the so called boundary classes.However, none of such classes has been identified so far for the upper dominating set problem.In the present paper, we discover the first boundary class for this problem.

The low cost, upper stage-class propulsion (LCUSP) element will develop a high strength copper alloy additive manufacturing (AM) process as well as critical components for an upper stage-class propulsion system that will be demonstrated with testing. As manufacturing technologies have matured, it now appears possible to build all the major components and subsystems of an upper stage-class rocket engine for substantially less money and much faster than traditionally done. However, several enabling technologies must be developed before that can happen. This activity will address these technologies and demonstrate the concept by designing, manufacturing, and testing the critical components of a rocket engine. The processes developed and materials' property data will be transitioned to industry upon completion of the activity. Technologies to enable the concept are AM copper alloy process development, AM post-processing finishing to minimize surface roughness, AM material deposition on existing copper alloy substrate, and materials characterization.

This book bridges the gap between general plasma physics lectures and the real world problems in MHD stability. In order to support the understanding of concepts and their implication, it refers to real world problems such as toroidal mode coupling or nonlinear evolution in a conceptual and phenomenological approach. Detailed mathematical treatment will involve classical linear stability analysis and an outline of more recent concepts such as the ballooning formalism. The book is based on lectures that the author has given to Master and PhD students in Fusion Plasma Physics. Due its strong lin

Measurements reported at the 11th International Conference on Applications of Accelerators in Research and Industry [Schroeder et al., Nucl. Instr. and Meth. B56/B57 (1991) 1033] for a 1 MV single-ended Pelletron accelerator equipped with corona probe and tank liner voltage stabilizers have been extended by measuring the resonant yield of γ-rays from the 27Al(p, γ) 28Si reaction at 992 keV. Results show that terminal voltage stability is consistent with the earlier measurement of 31 V FWHM for ripple at 1 MV for periods of about one-half ( {1}/{2}) hour.

Measurements reported at the 11th International Conference on Applications of Accelerators in Research and Industry for a 1 MV single-ended Pelletron accelerator equipped with corona probe and tank liner voltage stabilizers have been extended by measuring the resonant yield of γ-rays from the 27 Al(p,γ) 28 Si reaction at 992 keV. Results show that terminal voltage stability is consistent with the earlier measurement of 31 V FWHM for ripple at 1 MV for periods of about one-half (1/2) hour. (orig.)

In the current work, stabilization of premixed laminar and lean turbulent flames for wide range of flow rates and equivalence ratios was performed. Methane-air mixture was ignited after passing through premixed chamber with beads and grids, and conical nozzle (Bunsen-type burner). On the edge of the nozzle a stabilized body-ring was mounted. Ring geometry was varied to get the widest stable flame parameters. This work was performed as part of the project on experimental investigation of premixed flames under microgravity conditions.

The main purpose of developing stability theory is to examine dynamic responses of a system to disturbances as the time approaches infinity. It has been and still is the object of intense investigations due to its intrinsic interest and its relevance to all practical systems in engineering, finance, natural science and social science. This monograph provides some state-of-the-art expositions of major advances in fundamental stability theories and methods for dynamic systems of ODE and DDE types and in limit cycle, normal form and Hopf bifurcation control of nonlinear dynamic systems.ʺ Presents

Upper Amazonian data for tree species richness in 1-hectare plots are reported. All plants ≥10 cm diameter were censused and identified in six plots in Amazonian Peru and one on the Venezuela-Brazil border. The two plots from the everwet forests near Iquitos, Peru, are the most species-rich in the world, with ≈300 species ≥10 cm diameter in single hectares; all of the Peruvian plots are among the most species-rich ever reported. Contrary to accepted opinion, upper Amazonian forest, and perhap...

Saline nasal irrigation is an adjunctive therapy for upper respiratory conditions that bathes the nasal cavity with spray or liquid saline. Nasal irrigation with liquid saline is used to manage symptoms associated with chronic rhinosinusitis. Less conclusive evidence supports the use of spray and liquid saline nasal irrigation to manage symptoms of mild to moderate allergic rhinitis and acute upper respiratory tract infections. Consensus guidelines recommend saline nasal irrigation as a treatment for a variety of other conditions, including rhinitis of pregnancy and acute rhinosinusitis. Saline nasal irrigation appears safe, with no reported serious adverse events. Minor adverse effects can be avoided with technique modification and salinity adjustment.

The discussion paper is a publication from the project Information Literacy in the Upper Secondary School. The project is a collaboration between the National Library of Education at the Danish School of Education, Aarhus University, and the Royal School of Library and Information Science....... The project is funded by Denmark's Electronic Research Library (DEFF). The discussion paper is published in connection with the conference Information Literacy in the Upper Secondary School on 22 April 2010. See video streaming from the conference etc. at www.dpu.dk/info....

The chemistry of the earth's mantle is discussed using data from cosmochemistry, geochemistry, petrology, seismology, and mineral physics. The chondritic earth, the upper mantle and the 400-km discontinuity, the transition region, lower mantle mineralogy, and surface wave tomography are examined. Three main issues are addressed: (1) whether the mantle is homogeneous in composition or chemically stratified, (2) whether the major element chemistry of the mantle is more similar to upper mantle peridotites or to chondrites, and (3) the nature of the composition of the source region of basalts erupted at midocean ridges.

A well-functioning alimentary canal is required for adequate nutrient absorption. Disruption to the upper gastrointestinal tract through surgery can lead to micronutrient malnourishment. Copper deficiency has been noted in up to 10% of those undergoing Roux-en-Y gastric bypass surgery, but sequalae are not frequently reported. The resultant deficiency states can have profound and long-term consequences if not realized early and managed appropriately. Here we present a case of copper deficiency myelopathy, a condition indistinguishable from subacute combined degeneration of the spinal cord, following upper gastrointestinal bypass surgery for gastric ulceration, further complicated by inadequate nutrition.

a second union have higher initial levels of stress in their original relationship and higher changes in stress levels over the course of treatments. These findings suggest that high infertility-related stress levels before entering fertility treatment can negatively affect the stability of marital...

A stability monitor for a BWR type reactor determines the index of stability by statistic processing of signals from an average power region monitor or the like, but it takes much time and the reliability thereof is not always high. Then, parameters such as reactor core power are measured on every sampling periods as observation data and pretreatments such as normalization are applied successively, to obtain monitored amount and store them successively. Differentiation coefficient relative to time are calculated by using the observed amount at present and that one sample period before, to evaluate on a phasal plane using the amount of observation and the differentiation coefficient with time on the axes of coordinate. As a result, information relative to the stability can be represented accurately, thereby enabling to monitor the stability at a high accuracy. Further, judgement for the condition considering the amplitude is conducted upon oscillation, thereby enabling to conduct control operation certainly. The operation in a region where it has been limited under great caution can be conducted appropriately and safely, enabling to conduct controlled operation of excellent economical property. (N.H.)

The research program for the first year of this project (see the original research proposal) consists of developing an explicit marching scheme for solving the parabolized stability equations (PSE). Performing mathematical analysis of the computational algorithm including numerical stability analysis and the determination of the proper boundary conditions needed at the boundary of the computation domain are implicit in the task. Before one can solve the parabolized stability equations for high-speed mixing layers, the mean flow must first be found. In the past, instability analysis of high-speed mixing layer has mostly been performed on mean flow profiles calculated by the boundary layer equations. In carrying out this project, it is believed that the boundary layer equations might not give an accurate enough nonparallel, nonlinear mean flow needed for parabolized stability analysis. A more accurate mean flow can, however, be found by solving the parabolized Navier-Stokes equations. The advantage of the parabolized Navier-Stokes equations is that its accuracy is consistent with the PSE method. Furthermore, the method of solution is similar. Hence, the major part of the effort of the work of this year has been devoted to the development of an explicit numerical marching scheme for the solution of the Parabolized Navier-Stokes equation as applied to the high-seed mixing layer problem.

The stability of the straight stellarator against localized interchange modes is investigated employing the Mercier-Greene-Johnson criterion. Critical values of β are obtained both numerically and analytically. The conclusion is that for classical helical stellarators the average limiting β's are quite low of order three to four percent

Iron is an essential micronutrient which is required in a relatively narrow range for maintaining metabolic homeostasis and genome stability. Iron participates in oxygen transport and mitochondrial respiration as well as in antioxidant and nucleic acid metabolism. Iron deficiency impairs these biological pathways, leading to oxidative stress and possibly carcinogenesis. Iron overload has been linked to genome instability as well as to cancer risk increase, as seen in hereditary hemochromatosis. Iron is an extremely reactive transition metal that can interact with hydrogen peroxide to generate hydroxyl radicals that form the 8-hydroxy-guanine adduct, cause point mutations as well as DNA single and double strand breaks. Iron overload also induces DNA hypermethylation and can reduce telomere length. The current Recommended Dietary Allowances (RDA) for iron, according with Institute of Medicine Dietary Reference Intake (DRI), is based in the concept of preventing anemia, and ranges from 7 mg/day to 18 mg/day depending on life stage and gender. Pregnant women need 27 mg/day. The maximum safety level for iron intake, the Upper Level (UL), is 40–45 mg/day, based on the prevention of gastrointestinal distress associated to high iron intakes. Preliminary evidence indicates that 20 mg/day iron, an intake slightly higher than the RDA, may reduce the risk of gastrointestinal cancer in the elderly as well as increasing genome stability in lymphocytes of children and adolescents. Current dietary recommendations do not consider the concept of genome stability which is of concern because damage to the genome has been linked to the origin and progression of many diseases and is the most fundamental pathology. Given the importance of iron for homeostasis and its potential influence over genome stability and cancer it is recommended to conduct further studies that conclusively define these relationships.

Iron is an essential micronutrient which is required in a relatively narrow range for maintaining metabolic homeostasis and genome stability. Iron participates in oxygen transport and mitochondrial respiration as well as in antioxidant and nucleic acid metabolism. Iron deficiency impairs these biological pathways, leading to oxidative stress and possibly carcinogenesis. Iron overload has been linked to genome instability as well as to cancer risk increase, as seen in hereditary hemochromatosis. Iron is an extremely reactive transition metal that can interact with hydrogen peroxide to generate hydroxyl radicals that form the 8-hydroxy-guanine adduct, cause point mutations as well as DNA single and double strand breaks. Iron overload also induces DNA hypermethylation and can reduce telomere length. The current Recommended Dietary Allowances (RDA) for iron, according with Institute of Medicine Dietary Reference Intake (DRI), is based in the concept of preventing anemia, and ranges from 7 mg/day to 18 mg/day depending on life stage and gender. Pregnant women need 27 mg/day. The maximum safety level for iron intake, the Upper Level (UL), is 40-45 mg/day, based on the prevention of gastrointestinal distress associated to high iron intakes. Preliminary evidence indicates that 20 mg/day iron, an intake slightly higher than the RDA, may reduce the risk of gastrointestinal cancer in the elderly as well as increasing genome stability in lymphocytes of children and adolescents. Current dietary recommendations do not consider the concept of genome stability which is of concern because damage to the genome has been linked to the origin and progression of many diseases and is the most fundamental pathology. Given the importance of iron for homeostasis and its potential influence over genome stability and cancer it is recommended to conduct further studies that conclusively define these relationships.

The aims of this study were to investigate the nature and extent of upper limb deformities via the use of various classifications, and to analyze the relationship between upper limb deformities and gross motor or upper limb functionality levels. Upper extremity data were collected from 234 children with spastic cerebral palsy (CP) who were…

Team teaching has been used for 4 years in the 10th-grade English classes at Upper Arlington High School near Columbus, Ohio. Units are prepared, presented, and evaluated by teachers working together voluntarily. A 6-day American literature unit introducing Romanticism has been particularly successful. The contrasts between Neoclassicism and…

The Upper Permian in the Netherlands, as known from borehole data, is deposited in a mainly evaporitic facies north of the Brabant and Rhenish Massifs. In the extreme south (Belgian Campine, de Peel) a near-shore facies of reef dolomites and elastics occurs. In the western and central Netherlands

Buccal exostoses are benign, broad-based surface masses of the outer or facial aspect of the upper jaw (maxilla) or, less commonly, the lower jaw (mandible). They begin to develop in early adulthood and may very slowly enlarge over years. We report here an adult man with multiple masses of the maxilla above the teeth.

Results: The prevalence of Helicobacter pylori in patients with various upper gastrointestinal problems was 84.7%. The use of medication that can reduce the H. pylori density was common among the infected patients, as history of antibiotics use, acid suppressant use and medications for eradication treatment were ...

2School of Mathematics and Information Science, Henan University of Economics and. Law, Zhengzhou 450046, People's Republic of China. E-mail: 172790219@qq.com; yudong83@163.com. MS received 22 January 2013; revised 5 April 2013. Abstract. In this paper, a solution of the Dirichlet problem on the upper half ...

Full Text Available Upper airways (UA are an organic component of the respiratory tract, they serve to respiration, respiratory tract protection and defense, phonation, deglutition, etc. The functions of UA are regulated by motor control of the oral, pharyngeal, and laryngeal muscles.

Full Text Available We introduce the concepts of set-valued homomorphism and strong set-valued homomorphism of a quantale which are the extended notions of congruence and complete congruence, respectively. The properties of generalized lower and upper approximations, constructed by a set-valued mapping, are discussed.

Intravenous ketamine is usually administered for the induction of general anaesthesia. Spinal ketamine for lower abdominal and lower limb surgery is sporadically reported in the literature. However, the use of spinal ketamine for upper body surgery is rare. We describe the case of a 35-year old man, with a retroperitoneal ...

Upper limb apraxia, a disorder of higher motor cognition, is a common consequence of left-hemispheric stroke. Contrary to common assumption, apraxic deficits not only manifest themselves during clinical testing but also have delirious effects on the patients' everyday life and rehabilitation. Thus, a reliable diagnosis and efficient treatment of upper limb apraxia is important to improve the patients' prognosis after stroke. Nevertheless, to date, upper limb apraxia is still an underdiagnosed and ill-treated entity. Based on a systematic literature search, this review summarizes the current tools of diagnosis and treatment strategies for upper limb apraxia. It furthermore provides clinicians with graded recommendations. In particular, a short screening test for apraxia, and a more comprehensive diagnostic apraxia test for clinical use are recommended. Although currently only a few randomized controlled studies investigate the efficacy of different apraxia treatments, the gesture training suggested by Smania and colleagues can be recommended for the therapy of apraxia, the effects of which were shown to extend to activities of daily living and to persist for at least 2 months after completion of the training. This review aims at directing the reader's attention to the ecological relevance of apraxia. Moreover, it provides clinicians with appropriate tools for the reliable diagnosis and effective treatment of apraxia. Nevertheless, this review also highlights the need for further research into how to improve diagnosis of apraxia based on neuropsychological models and to develop new therapeutic strategies.

The results of a pre-development component demonstration program on the use of a gas generator-driven turbopump that increases the Space Shuttle's Orbital Maneuvering Engine (OME) operating pressure are given. Tests and analysis confirm the the capability of the concept to meet or exceed performance and life requirements. Storable propellant upper stage concepts are also discussed.

This paper suggests a method for determining rigorous upper bounds on approximationerrors of numerical solutions to infinite horizon dynamic programming models.Bounds are provided for approximations of the value function and the policyfunction as well as the derivatives of the value function...

Clinical case summary of the patient with an upper lateral incisor with two root canals. The suspicion that there might be an anatomic anomaly in the root that includes a complex root canal system was made when an advanced radicular groove was detected in the lingual surface or an excessively enlarged cingulum.

We study the stability of a thermal K39 Bose gas across a broad Feshbach resonance, focusing on the unitary regime, where the scattering length a exceeds the thermal wavelength λ. We measure the general scaling laws relating the particle-loss and heating rates to the temperature, scattering length, and atom number. Both at unitarity and for positive a≪λ we find agreement with three-body theory. However, for a<0 and away from unitarity, we observe significant four-body decay. At unitarity, the three-body loss coefficient, L3∝λ4, is 3 times lower than the universal theoretical upper bound. This reduction is a consequence of species-specific Efimov physics and makes K39 particularly promising for studies of many-body physics in a unitary Bose gas.

This paper presents the hydraulic design of Three Gorges Right Bank Powerhouse turbine for improvement of hydraulic stability. The technical challenges faced in the hydraulic design of the turbine are given. The method of hydraulic design for improving the hydraulic stability and particularly for eliminating the upper part load pressure pulsations is clarified. The final hydraulic design results of Three Gorges Right Bank Powerhouse turbine based on modern hydraulic design techniques are presented.

The complex anatomy and the importance of ligaments in providing stability at the upper cervical spine region (O-C1-C2) require the use of many imaging modalities to evaluate upper cervical injuries (UCI). While separate classifications have been developed for distinct injuries, a more practical treatment algorithm can be derived from the injury pattern in UCI. To propose a practical treatment algorithm to guide treatment based on injuries characteristic of UCI. A literature review was performed on the Pubmed database using the following keywords: (1) "occipital condyle injury"; (2) "craniocervical dislocation or atlanto-occipital dislocation or craniocervical dislocation"; (3) "atlas fractures"; and (4) "axis fractures". Just articles containing the diagnosis, classification, and treatment of specific UCI were included. The data obtained were analyzed by the authors, dividing the UCI into two groups: Group 1 - patients with clear ligamentous injury and Group 2 - patients with fractures without ligament disruption. Injuries with ligamentous disruption, suggesting surgical treatment, include: atlanto-occipital dislocation, mid-substance transverse ligament injury, and C1-2 and C2-3 ligamentous injuries. In contrast, condyle, atlas, and axis fractures without significant displacement/misalignment can be initially treated using external orthoses. Odontoid fractures with risk factors for non-union are an exception in Group 2 once they are better treated surgically. Patients with neurological deficits may have more unstable injuries. Ascertaining the status of relevant ligamentous structures, fracture patterns and alignment are important in determining surgical compared with non-surgical treatment for patients with UCI.

Full Text Available Based on Lyapunov stability theory, Itô formula, stochastic analysis, and matrix theory, we study the exponential stability of the stochastic nonlinear dynamical price system. Using Taylor's theorem, the stochastic nonlinear system with delay is reduced to an n-dimensional semilinear stochastic differential equation with delay. Some sufficient conditions of exponential stability and corollaries for such price system are established by virtue of Lyapunov function. The time delay upper limit is solved by using our theoretical results when the system is exponentially stable. Our theoretical results show that if the classical price Rayleigh equation is exponentially stable, so is its perturbed system with delay provided that both the time delay and the intensity of perturbations are small enough. Two examples are presented to illustrate our results.

Full Text Available The Routh criterion is used to assess longitudinal dynamic stability of a propeller-driven aircraft. Under a few plausible assumptions on possible ranges of the pertinent stability derivatives, it reduces to a pair of simple conditions imposing a traditional aft limit (the forward of the maneuver and the neutral-speed-stability points on the center-of-gravity position and an upper limit on the longitudinal moment of inertia. It is demonstrated that most aircraft have sufficiently small inertia to remain stable as long as their center-of-gravity is properly placed. At the same time, sailplane-like aircraft (as, e.g., long endurance UAVs, with an engine installed at the rear extremity of the aircraft, may have sufficiently high inertia to become unstable regardless of their center-of-gravity placement.

Bacterial biofilms identified in various medical devices used in otorhinolaryngology, including tympanostomy tubes, voice prostheses, and cochlear implants, can directly colonise mucosal tissues. The upper airways seem to be at high risk for this type of colonisation. Chronic and/or recurrent upper airway infections may be related to the complex structural and biochemical (quorum sensing) organisation of the biofilm which interferes with the activity of antibiotics (including those with proven in vitro efficacy), thus promoting the establishment of a chronic infection eradicable only by surgical treatment. Biofilm formation plays a role in upper respiratory infections: it not only explains the resistance of these infections to antibiotic therapy but it also represents an important element that contributes to the maintenance of a chronic inflammatory reaction. To document the presence of biofilms in surgical tissue specimens from patients with recurrent infection diseases, and identify their possible role in the chronicity of these infectious processes. We examined 32 surgical specimens from the upper respiratory tract (tonsils, adenoids, mucosa from the ethmoid and maxillary sinuses) of 28 patients (20 adults, eight children) with upper airway infections that had persisted despite repeated treatment with anti-inflammatory agents and antibiotics with demonstrated in vitro efficacy. Tissues were cultured using conventional methods and subjected to scanning electron microscopy for detection of biofilm formation. Over 80 per cent (26/32; 81.3 per cent) of the tissue specimens were culture-positive. Bacterial biofilms (associated in most cases with coccoid bacteria) were observed in 65.6 per cent of the tissue samples.

A surface-stabilized gold nanocatalyst includes a solid support having stabilizing surfaces for supporting gold nanoparticles, and a plurality of gold nanoparticles having an average particle size of less than 8 nm disposed on the stabilizing surfaces. The surface-stabilized gold nanocatalyst provides enhanced stability, such as at high temperature under oxygen containing environments. In one embodiment, the solid support is a multi-layer support comprising at least a first layer having a second layer providing the stabilizing surfaces disposed thereon, the first and second layer being chemically distinct.

This paper describes the stability analysis for the coarse mesh finite difference (CMFD) acceleration used in the wavelet expansion method. The nonlinear CMFD acceleration scheme is transformed by linearization and the Fourier ansatz is introduced into the linearized formulae. The spectral radius is defined as the stability criterion, which is the least upper bound (LUB) of the largest eigenvalue of Fourier analysis matrix. The stability analysis considers the effect of mesh size (spectral length), coarse mesh division and scattering ratio. The results show that for the wavelet expansion method, the CMFD acceleration is conditionally stable. The small size of fine mesh brings stability and fast convergent. With the increase of the mesh size, the stability becomes worse. The scattering ratio does not impact the stability obviously. It makes the CMFD acceleration highly efficient in the strong scattering case. The results of Fourier analysis are verified by the numerical tests based on a homogeneous slab problem.

This paper considers the problem of robust stabilization for a class of uncertain neural networks with various activation functions and mixed time delays. The aim is to derive a H∞ control law to ensure the robust stability of the closed-loop system about its equilibrium with parameter uncertainties. By employing the Lyapunov stability theory and the matrix inequality technique, a new set of sufficient conditions is presented for the existence of the H∞ control problem. The stability criteria are derived in terms of linear matrix inequalities (LMIs) which can be solved easily by the Matlab LMI toolbox. In addition to the requirement of global robust stabilization, for a prescribed H∞ performance level the stabilizing controller gain matrices for all delays to satisfy the upper bound of the time-varying delay are required to be obtained. Numerical examples are presented to illustrate the effectiveness of the proposed method.

The static longitudinal and lateral directional characteristics of a 0.035 scale model of a first generation jet transport were obtained with and without upper winglets. The data were obtained for take off and landing configurations at a free stream Mach number of 0.30. The results generally indicated that upper winglets had favorable effects on the stability characteristics of the aircraft.

Cancer results from a disordered and unstable genome - the degree of abnormality progresses as the process of oncogenesis proceeds. Such genomic instability appears to be subject to control by environmental factors as evidenced by the number of cancers that are either caused by specific environmental agents (lung, skin, cervix) or else regulated by a broader range of agents such as effect of diet on gastric and colorectal cancers. Dietary factors might interact in several ways with the genome to protect against cancer. An agent might interact directly with the genome and regulate expression (as a genetic or epigenetic regulator) or indirectly by influencing DNA 'repair' responses and so improve genomic stability. Research now shows that diet-genomic interactions in cancer go beyond interactions with the normal genome and involve enhancement of normal cellular responses to DNA damage such that genome stability is more effectively maintained. Activation of apoptosis may be a key to protection.

Landslides are caused by a failure of the mechanical balance within hillslopes. This balance is governed by two coupled physical processes: hydrological or subsurface flow and stress. The stabilizing strength of hillslope materials depends on effective stress, which is diminished by rainfall. This book presents a cutting-edge quantitative approach to understanding hydro-mechanical processes across variably saturated hillslope environments and to the study and prediction of rainfall-induced landslides. Topics covered include historic synthesis of hillslope geomorphology and hydrology, total and effective stress distributions, critical reviews of shear strength of hillslope materials and different bases for stability analysis. Exercises and homework problems are provided for students to engage with the theory in practice. This is an invaluable resource for graduate students and researchers in hydrology, geomorphology, engineering geology, geotechnical engineering and geomechanics and for professionals in the fields of civil and environmental engineering and natural hazard analysis.

Case No. 77,410 nickel or iron. The bond coat protects and is disposed over a superalloy substrate, such as nickel or a cobalt superalloy . The...conductivity, and a relatively high thermal coefficient of expansion to match expansion of the underlying superalloy 20 substrate, if one is present...multilayer construction, with an MCrAlY (M=Ni, Co, or Fe) inner coating, known as the bond coat, on a superalloy substrate and yttria-stabilized

On Toompea Hill situated in the center of Tallinn there are several natural, ancient architectural and historical monuments. It has become apparent that the processes in the rock mass caused an unfavorable environmental side effect accompanied by significant subsidence of the Toompea Hill. Identification of the reasons of the Toompea Hill's subsidence and opening the physical substance of these processes is the main aim of the present work. For the feasibility study stability problems were in...

A method for determining postural stability of a person can include acquiring a plurality of pressure data points over a period of time from at least one pressure sensor. The method can also include the step of identifying a postural state for each pressure data point to generate a plurality of postural states. The method can include the step of determining a postural state of the person at a point in time based on at least the plurality of postural states.

forces to the protected population .” An “ overwhelming presence” was essential to the initial success in Haiti and an “inadequate” number of troops was...stability operations until they achieve the endstate rather than rotating them allows the military to use overwhelming presence, successfully handle...must deploy a force that provides an overwhelming presence in the area of operations with the mission to achieve the endstate. 14. SUBJECT

The modern version of the liquid-drop model (LSD) is compared with the macroscopic part of the binding energy evaluated within the Hartree-Fock- Bogoliubov procedure with the Gogny force and the relativistic mean field theory. The parameters of a liquid-drop like mass formula which approximate on the average the self-consistent results are compared with other models. The limits of nuclear stability predicted by these models are discussed.

To develop an International Spinal Cord Injury (SCI) Upper Extremity Basic Data Set as part of the International SCI Data Sets, which facilitates consistent collection and reporting of basic upper extremity findings in the SCI population. International. A first draft of a SCI Upper Extremity Data Set was developed by an international working group. This was reviewed by many different organisations, societies and individuals over several months. A final version was created. The final version of the International SCI Upper Extremity Data Set contains variables related to basic hand-upper extremity function, use of assistive devices, SCI-related complications to upper extremity function and upper extremity/hand reconstructive surgery. Instructions for data collection and the data collection form are freely available on the ISCoS website (www.iscos.org.uk). The International SCI Upper Extremity Basic Data Set will facilitate consistent collection and reporting of basic upper extremity findings in the SCI population.

Decontamination and decommissioning (D and D) activities require that personnel have access to all areas of structures, some of which are more than 40 years old. In many cases, these structures have remained in a standby condition for up to 10 years; few preventative maintenance activities have been performed on them because of lack of funding or a defined future plan of action. This situation has led to deteriorated building conditions, resulting in potential personnel safety hazards. In addition, leaky roofs allow water to enter the buildings, which can cause the spread of contamination and increase building deterioration, worsening the already unsafe working conditions. To ensure worker safety and facilitate building dismantlement, the assessment of roof stabilization techniques applicable to US Department of Energy (DOE) structures has become an important issue. During Fiscal year 1997 (FY97), a comprehensive reliability-based model for the structural stabilization analysis of roof system in complex structures was developed. The model consists of three major components: a material testing method, a deterministic structural computer model, and a reliability-based optimization, and probabilistic analyses of roof structures can be implemented. Given site-specific needs, this model recommends the most appropriate roof stabilization system. This model will give not only an accurate evaluation of the existing roof system in complex structures, but it will also be a reliable method to aid the decision-making process. This final report includes in its appendix a Users' Manual for the Program of Deterministic and Reliability Analysis of Roof Structures

We perform a systematic analysis of moduli stabilization for weakly coupled heterotic string theory compactified on smooth Calabi-Yau three-folds. We focus on both supersymmetric and supersymmetry breaking vacua of generic (0,2) compactifications obtained by minimising the total (F+D)-term scalar potential. After reviewing how to stabilise all the geometric moduli in a supersymmetric way by including fractional fluxes, non-perturbative and threshold effects, we show that the inclusion of {alpha}' corrections leads to new de Sitter or nearly Minkowski vacua which break supersymmetry spontaneously. The minimum lies at moderately large volumes of all the geometric moduli, at perturbative values of the string coupling and at the right phenomenological value of the GUT gauge coupling. However the structure of the heterotic 3-form flux used for complex structure moduli stabilization does not contain enough freedom to tune the superpotential. This results in the generic prediction of high-scale supersymmetry breaking around the GUT scale. We finally provide a dynamical derivation of anisotropic compactifications with stabilized moduli which allow for perturbative gauge coupling unification around 10{sup 16} GeV.

Decontamination and decommissioning (D and D) activities require that personnel have access to all areas of structures, some of which are more than 40 years old. In many cases, these structures have remained in a standby condition for up to 10 years; few preventative maintenance activities have been performed on them because of lack of funding or a defined future plan of action. This situation has led to deteriorated building conditions, resulting in potential personnel safety hazards. In addition, leaky roofs allow water to enter the buildings, which can cause the spread of contamination and increase building deterioration, worsening the already unsafe working conditions. To ensure worker safety and facilitate building dismantlement, the assessment of roof stabilization techniques applicable to US Department of Energy (DOE) structures has become an important issue. During Fiscal year 1997 (FY97), a comprehensive reliability-based model for the structural stabilization analysis of roof system in complex structures was developed. The model consists of three major components: a material testing method, a deterministic structural computer model, and a reliability-based optimization, and probabilistic analyses of roof structures can be implemented. Given site-specific needs, this model recommends the most appropriate roof stabilization system. This model will give not only an accurate evaluation of the existing roof system in complex structures, but it will also be a reliable method to aid the decision-making process. This final report includes in its appendix a Users` Manual for the Program of Deterministic and Reliability Analysis of Roof Structures.

Full Text Available The mechanical stability of graphene as temperature rises is analyzed based on three different self-consistent phonon (SCP models. Compared with three-dimensional (3-D materials, the critical temperature Ti at which instability occurs for graphene is much closer to its melting temperature Tm obtained from Monte Carlo simulation (Ti ≃ 2Tm, K. V. Zakharchenko, A. Fasolino, J. H. Los, and M. I. Katsnelson, J. Phys. Condens. Matter 23, 202202. This suggests that thermal vibration plays a significant role in melting of graphene while melting for 3-D materials is often dominated by topologic defects. This peculiar property of graphene derives from its high structural anisotropy, which is characterized by the vibrational anisotropic coefficient (VAC, defined upon its Lindermann ratios in different directions. For any carbon based material with a graphene-like structure, the VAC value must be smaller than 5.4 to maintain its stability. It is also found that the high VAC value of graphene is responsible for its negative thermal expansion coefficient at low temperature range. We believe that the VAC can be regarded as a new criterion concerning the vibrational stability of any low-dimensional (low-D materials.

We have studied the stability and dissolution of surface nanobubbles on the chemical heterogenous surface by performing Molecular Dynamics (MD) simulations of binary mixture consists of Lennard-Jones (LJ) particles. Recently our group has derived the exact expression for equilibrium contact angle of surface nanobubbles as a function of oversaturation of the gas concentration in bulk liquid and the lateral length of bubble. It has been showed that the contact line pinning and the oversaturation of gas concentration in bulk liquid is crucial in the stability of surface nanobubbles. Our simulations showed that how pinning of the three-phase contact line on the chemical heterogenous surface lead to the stability of the nanobubble. We have calculated the equilibrium contact angle by varying the gas concentration in bulk liquid and the lateral length of the bubble. Our results showed that the equilibrium contact angle follows the expression derived analytically by our group. We have also studied the bubble dissolution dynamics and showed the ''stick-jump'' mechanism which was also observed experimentally in case of dissolution of nanodrops.

Uranium mill tailings pose a potential radiation health hazard to the public. Therefore, stabilization or disposal of these tailings in a safe and environmentally sound way is needed to minimize radon exhalation and other environmental hazards. One of the most promising concepts for stabilizing U tailings is the use of asphalt emulsion to contain radon and other hazardous materials within uranium tailings. This approach is being investigated at the Pacific Northwest Laboratory. Results of these studies indicate that a radon flux reduction of greater than 99% can be obtained using either a poured-on/sprayed-on seal (3.0 to 7.0 mm thick) or an admixture seal (2.5 to 12.7 cm thick) containing about 18 wt % residual asphalt. A field test was carried out in June 1979 at the Grand Junction tailings pile in order to demonstrate the sealing process. A reduction in radon flux ranging from 4.5 to greater than 99% (76% average) was achieved using a 15.2-cm (6-in.) admix seal with a sprayed-on top coat. A hydrostatic stabilizer was used to apply the admix. Following compaction, a spray coat seal was applied over the admix as the final step in construction of a radon seal. Overburden was applied to provide a protective soil layer over the seal. Included in part of the overburden was a herbicide to prevent root penetration

The paper defines the term coordination interval (CI), suggesting that it should replace the term electromechanical delay (EMD), if this parameter is determined in vivo for a muscle functioning in a biomechanical system with considerable mobility, but not in a kinematic pair with one degree of rotational freedom (DOF). It was adopted that CI is the time elapsing between the moment of exertion of the resultant muscular force to the surroundings by the ending of the biokinematic chain with many DOFs, and the onset of myopotential in the muscle involved in its actuation. Tested at the same time was the utility efficiency of the system: man--unstable external object with adjustable mobility, as well as the participation and coordination patterns of the upper extremity muscles engaged in stabilizing and motor activities. Twelve adult men, students of physical education, took part in the experiment. The experimental set-up was in the form of a 3.08 m long physical pendulum with the inertial moment of 574 kg m2 and with an exchangeable ending that served as a handle. Three endings were used with zero, one or two DOFs in relation to the pendulum shaft. The subjects of the test were told to push the pendulum ending with maximum force using the upper extremity, so as to impart to it the highest possible kinetic energy, irrespective of its stability type and mobility. The muscles straightening the upper extremity and stabilizing the wrist joint were tested in the EMG measurements. As a result of the experiment, it was found that (1) the utility efficiency of the organism in relation to the force and muscular power exerted on the surroundings decreases to 80 and 60%, respectively, if a driven object requires stabilization, and (2) the patterns of muscular synergism expressed by sequences and frequencies of muscular activation by the nervous system, on the grounds of CI, undergo characteristic changes if a driven object becomes unstable.

This paper describes a structured light computer vision system applied to the measurement of the 3D profile of shoe uppers. The trajectory obtained is used to guide an industrial robot for automatic edge roughing around the contour of the shoe upper so that the bonding strength can be improved. Due to the specific contour and unevenness of the shoe upper, even if the 3D profile is obtained using computer vision, it is still difficult to reliably define the roughing path around the shape. However, the shape of the corresponding shoe sole is better defined, and it is much easier to measure the edge using computer vision. Therefore, a feasible strategy is to measure both the upper and sole profiles, and then align and fit the sole contour to the upper, in order to obtain the best fit. The trajectory of the edge of the desired roughing path is calculated and is then smoothed and interpolated using NURBS curves to guide an industrial robot for shoe upper surface removal; experiments show robust and consistent results. An outline description of the structured light vision system is given here, along with the calibration techniques used.

Full Text Available The rise in popularity of the Paralympics in recent years has created a need for effective, low-cost sports-prosthetic devices for upper-limb amputees. There are various opportunities for lower-limb amputees to participate in cycling; however, there are only few options for those with upper-limb amputations. If the individual previously participated in cycling, a cycling-specific prosthesis could allow these activities to be integrated into rehabilitation methods. This article describes the processes involved with designing, developing and manufacturing such a prosthesis. The fundamental needs of people with upper-limb amputation were assessed and realised in the prototype of a transradial terminal device with two release mechanisms, including a sliding mechanism (for falls and minor collisions and clamping mechanism (for head-on collisions. The sliding mechanism requires the rider to exert approximately 200 N, while the clamping mechanism requires about 700 N. The force ranges can be customised to match rider requirements. Experiments were conducted in a controlled environment to demonstrate stability of the device during normal cycling. Moreover, a volunteer test-rider was able to successfully activate the release mechanism during a simulated emergency scenario. The development of this prosthesis has the potential to enable traumatic upper-limb amputees to participate in cycling for rehabilitation or recreation.

The rise in popularity of the Paralympics in recent years has created a need for effective, low-cost sports-prosthetic devices for upper-limb amputees. There are various opportunities for lower-limb amputees to participate in cycling; however, there are only few options for those with upper-limb amputations. If the individual previously participated in cycling, a cycling-specific prosthesis could allow these activities to be integrated into rehabilitation methods. This article describes the processes involved with designing, developing and manufacturing such a prosthesis. The fundamental needs of people with upper-limb amputation were assessed and realised in the prototype of a transradial terminal device with two release mechanisms, including a sliding mechanism (for falls and minor collisions) and clamping mechanism (for head-on collisions). The sliding mechanism requires the rider to exert approximately 200 N, while the clamping mechanism requires about 700 N. The force ranges can be customised to match rider requirements. Experiments were conducted in a controlled environment to demonstrate stability of the device during normal cycling. Moreover, a volunteer test-rider was able to successfully activate the release mechanism during a simulated emergency scenario. The development of this prosthesis has the potential to enable traumatic upper-limb amputees to participate in cycling for rehabilitation or recreation.

The type and the severity of airway obstruction in 30 dogs with bilateral laryngeal paralysis was assessed, using tidal breathing flow-volume loop (TBFVL) analysis. The dogs had clinical evidence of mild-to-severe upper airway obstruction (ie, respiratory distress, exercise intolerance, stridor). Seventeen dogs had TBFVL consistent with a nonfixed (inspiratory) obstruction, 10 had TBFVL indicative of a fixed (inspiratory/expiratory) obstruction, and 3 had normal TBFVL. Analysis of TBFVL confirmed that dogs with laryngeal paralysis have upper airway obstruction that differs in type and severity. Use of TBFVL provided a quantitative evaluation of airway obstruction and demonstrated the effects of bilateral laryngeal paralysis on the breathing patterns of dogs.

Full Text Available Robotics not only contributes to the invention of rehabilitation devices, it can also enhance the quality of medical education. In recent years, the use of patient simulators and part-task trainers in the medical education field has brought meaningful improvements in the training of medical practitioners. Nevertheless, in the context of therapy training for upper limb disorders, trainee therapists still have to engage directly with the patients to gain experience of the rehabilitation of physical diseases. In this work, a high-fidelity part-task trainer that is able to reproduce the stiffness of spasticity and rigidity symptoms of the upper limb, such as those observed in post-stroke patients and Parkinson's disease patients, has been developed. Based on the evaluation carried out by two experienced therapists, the developed part-task trainer is able to simulate different patient cases and help trainee therapists gain pre-clinical experience in a safe and intuitive learning environment.

Full Text Available Pilomatrixoma of the eyelid is extremely rare in middle age and rarely develops into a large tumor. A 45-year-old female developed a painless, progressive swelling (3.0 cm x 2.0 cm of the left upper eyelid over a period of two years. Overlying skin was normal in color and texture. A differential diagnosis of dermoid, epidermoid cyst, chalazion and basal cell carcinoma was made. An excisional biopsy was performed. A diagnosis of pilomatrixoma was made on histopathological features (dystrophic calcification of matrix with keratin and foreign body granulomatous reaction, basaloid cells and shadow cells/ghost cells. It also comprises ossification apart from the usual calcification. This is a report of an unusually large ossifying pilomatrixoma in left upper eyelid of a middle-aged woman. The patient should be followed up at regular intervals to rule out any recurrence or malignant transformation.

Full Text Available This paper presents new compact bandstop filters (BSFs with extended upper passbands. In the basic proposed filter configuration, the conventional quarter-wavelength open-stub resonators are replaced with equivalent two-section stepped impedance resonators. Transmission line analysis is used to determine the dimensions of the equivalent stepped impedance sections. The filter structure is analyzed using a full wave electromagnetic (EM simulator and then realized at 2.3 GHz band. Experiments have also been done to validate the performance of the design concept. Compared with the conventional quarter-wavelength-based bandstop filter, significant extensions of the upper passband beyond 9 GHz and 40% size reduction are achieved. Two other variations of the proposed basic BSF with further size reduction (more than 60% are implemented and their measured performances are verified.

A most fascinating result of recent ionospheric experiments has been the discovery of artificial ionization by Pedersen et al. (GRL, 37, L02106, 2010). The Artificial Ionospheric Layers (AIL) were the result of F-region O-mode HF irradiation using the HAARP ionospheric heater operating at 3.6 MW power. As demonstrated by Eliasson et al. (JGR, 117, A10321, 2012) the physics controlling the observed phenomenon and its threshold can be summarized as: " Collisional ionization due to high energy (~ 20 eV) electron tails generated by the interaction of strong Langmuir turbulence with plasma heated at the upper hybrid resonance and transported at the reflection height". The objective of the current presentation is to explore the role of the upper hybrid heating in the formation of AIL and its implications to future experiments involving HF heaters operating in middle and equatorial latitudes.

OBJECTIVE: To assess the intraobserver reliability (in terms of hour-to-hour and day-to-day reliability) and the interobserver reliability with 3 palpation procedures for the detection of spinal biomechanic dysfunction in the upper 8 segments of the thoracic spine. DESIGN: A repeated-measures des......OBJECTIVE: To assess the intraobserver reliability (in terms of hour-to-hour and day-to-day reliability) and the interobserver reliability with 3 palpation procedures for the detection of spinal biomechanic dysfunction in the upper 8 segments of the thoracic spine. DESIGN: A repeated...... procedure. RESULTS: Using an "expanded" definition of agreement that accepts small inaccuracies (+/-1 segment) in the numbering of spinal segments, we found--based on the pooled data from the thoracic spine--kappa values of 0.59 to 0.77 for the hour-to-hour and the day-to-day intraobserver reliability...

Flexoelectric effect is the response of electric polarization to the mechanical strain gradient. At the nano-scale, where large strain gradients are expected, the flexoelectric effect becomes appreciable and may substitute piezoelectric effect in centrosymmetric materials. These features make flexoelectricity of growing interest during the last decade. At the same time, the available theoretical and experimental results are rather contradictory. In particular, experimentally measured flexoelectric coefficients in some ferroelectric materials largely exceed theoretically predicted values. Here, we determine the upper limits for the magnitude of the static bulk contribution to the flexoelectric effect in ferroelectrics, the contribution which was customarily considered as the dominating one. The magnitude of the upper bounds obtained suggests that the anomalously high flexoelectric coupling documented for perovskite ceramics can hardly be attributed to a manifestation of the static bulk effect.

Edema of the upper limb is, frequently, very invalidating. The physical treatment for edema of the upper limb consists on a combination of different therapies: manual lymphatic drainage (MLD), intermittent sequential pressotherapy (IPP) with a very low intensity, multilayer bandages (MLB), and compression sleeves. Patients are not hospitalized. In the first step of physical treatment, the patients are treated daily during 2 or 3 weeks with different therapies (MLD, IPP and MLB). During the second step, bandages are no more used. The compression garments are applied after this 2 or 3 weeks period. The physical treatment consist now in: manual lynphatic drainage and intermittent sequential pressotherapy (with low intensity). The frequency of the physical treatment is progressively decreased.

During refueling of a nuclear power plant, the reactor upper internals must be removed from the reactor vessel to permit transfer of the fuel. The upper internals are stored in the flooded reactor cavity. Refueling personnel working in containment at a number of nuclear stations typically receive radiation exposure from a portion of the highly contaminated upper intervals package which extends above the normal water level of the refueling pool. This same issue exists with reactor lower internals withdrawn for inservice inspection activities. One solution to this problem is to provide adequate shielding of the unimmersed portion. The use of lead sheets or blankets for shielding of the protruding components would be time consuming and require more effort for installation since the shielding mass would need to be transported to a support structure over the refueling pool. A preferable approach is to use the existing shielding mass of the refueling pool water. A method of shielding was devised which would use a vacuum pump to draw refueling pool water into an inverted canister suspended over the upper internals to provide shielding from the normally exposed components. During the Spring 1993 refueling of Indian Point 2 (IP2), a prototype shield device was demonstrated. This shield consists of a cylindrical tank open at the bottom that is suspended over the refueling pool with I-beams. The lower lip of the tank is two feet below normal pool level. After installation, the air width of the natural shielding provided by the existing pool water. This paper describes the design, development, testing and demonstration of the prototype device.

eigenvalue of M was given in terms of the integral of the first eigenvalue of the geodesic spheres centred at the centre of gravity of M. For precious statements, see [10]. In this paper, we obtain isoperimetric upper bounds for the first eigenvalue λ1(M) of a hypersurface M in M(κ). We refer to [2] and [8] for the basic Riemannian ...

With technical advances, ultrasonography of musculoskeletal system has been an important imaging modality in variable disorders and has been popular. Real-time imaging and possible dynamic motion study are special advantages of ultrasonography, and particularly helpful in evaluation of tendon or ligament injury. The purpose of this article is to review the basic technique and disorders that dynamic ultrasonography is helpful or essential in diagnosis in upper extremity

Of 128 patients who underwent upper abdominal surgery, examined by standard preoperative and postoperative chest roentgenograms for the formation of postoperative pleural effusions, 89 had postoperative pleural effusions. Their presence was not related to the type of operation, infection, serum a...... to postoperative sodium and water retention, and aggravated by an age-related relative cardiac decompensation. Early postoperative pleural effusions are common and do not require specific treatment....

The nonlinear equations of ideal magnetohydrodynamics are discussed along with the following topics: (1) static equilibrium, (2) strict linear theory, (3) stability of a system with one degree of freedom, (4) spectrum and variational principles in magnetohydrodynamics, (5) elementary proof of the modified energy principle, (6) sufficient stability criteria, (7) local stability, and (8) normal modes

The next three articles in this issue take a unique approach to discussing volumetric restoration. Robert Glasgold has provided an assessment for each facial region and five different renowned authors (TK, SPS, RF, SML, and EFW) have been asked to speak on a particular volumetric product, of which they are considered an expert, as it applies to the different regions of the face. The articles are broken into the following: (1) upper third which corresponds to the upper eyelid, brow, temple, and forehead; (2) middle third which will cover lower eyelid, cheek, and perioral area; and (3) lower third which discusses the marionette, prejowl, and jawline. Our hope is that by placing differing opinions of experienced authors, organized by facial region together, the reader will have the opportunity to more readily compare the options. The contributing authors and their product area are as follows: Theda Kontis, MD-hyaluronic acid; Steve Smith, MD-calcium hydroxyl appetite; Rebecca Fitzgerald, MD-poly-L lactic acid; Sam Lam, MD-polymethyl methacrylate; and Edwin Williams, MD-Autologous Fat Transfer. If the author included general comments on the product, they are included in the article on the upper face only and are not repeated. Please note that other individuals may also have significantly assisted in the production of these articles, but those listed above are the senior authors. Thieme Medical Publishers 333 Seventh Avenue, New York, NY 10001, USA.

Full Text Available The thymus is located in the anterior portion of the upper mediastinum, immediately behind the sternal manubrium, and extends to the anterior mediastinum, anteriorly to the pericardium. Two patients were evaluated due to nodulations at the transition from the cervical region to the anterior mediastinum, which simulated lymphadenomegaly. The first patient, a seven-year-old male, presented with a rhabdomyosarcoma of the masticatory space; during progressive follow-up, a nodule was noted with FDG uptake on the positron emission tomography coupled with the computed tomography (PET-CT. The second patient, a 51-year-old female, presented with a nodulation characterized on the magnetic resonance image for follow-up of a papilliferous carcinoma of the thyroid. In both cases, the nodulation displayed an upper prolongation of the thymus. These nodulations showed the same density on the computed tomography and the same signal intensity on the magnetic resonance image as the adjacent thymic tissue, and there was no adipose tissue layer between the nodulations and the thymus. Knowledge of the upper prolongation of the thymus as an anatomical variation is vital for differentiating it from mediastinal lymphadenomegaly, thus avoiding unnecessary biopsies or procedures.

Full Text Available Land degradation is a serious problem in the Upper Sekampung Watersheds. This is because the farmers cultivated in steep land to coffee crops without in adequate soil and water conservation practices. The land degradation is mostly caused by erosion. The erosion problem not only stripping the most fertile top soil and decreasing crop production, but also resulting problems in lowland. Therefore, the reorientation land management should be improved to produce agriculture sustainability. The first step is to evaluated land capability this area. The objectives of the research were evaluate land capability of Upper Sekampung Watersheds. The results showed that the Upper Sekampung Watersheds were dominated with class and subclass land capability of III-l2 about 17.630,51 ha (41,58%. All of the constrain for each land capability in this area is erosion hazard, especially land slope. From this research, cultivated land to coffee base crops were allowed in land capability II-l1.e1, III-l2, IV-l3, and VI-l4, with in adequate soil and water conservation practices. In contrary, the land capability of VII-l5 unsuitable for agriculture, they should be a nature or for conservation forest.

Full Text Available Flood frequency analysis (FFA entails the estimation of the upper tail of a probability density function (PDF of annual peak flows obtained from either the annual maximum series or partial duration series. In hydrological practice, the properties of various methods of upper quantiles estimation are identified with the case of known population distribution function. In reality, the assumed hypothetical model differs from the true one and one cannot assess the magnitude of error caused by model misspecification in respect to any estimated statistics. The opinion about the accuracy of the methods of upper quantiles estimation formed from the case of known population distribution function is upheld. The above-mentioned issue is the subject of the paper. The accuracy of large quantile assessments obtained from the four estimation methods is compared to two-parameter log-normal and log-Gumbel distributions and their three-parameter counterparts, i.e., three-parameter log-normal and GEV distributions. The cases of true and false hypothetical models are considered. The accuracy of flood quantile estimates depends on the sample size, the distribution type (both true and hypothetical, and strongly depends on the estimation method. In particular, the maximum likelihood method loses its advantageous properties in case of model misspecification.

Super-Phenix -integrated pool type power reactor- requires large dimension upper shuttings, as compared to Phenix, and development of new solutions had to be undertaken, such as the use of metallic thermal insulations above the liquid sodium. A large number of tests have been fulfilled to adjust these solutions, and their validation for Super-Phenix has lead to the construction of a large mock up (diameter 6m), named 'Gulliver', representative of the upper shuttings, as far as geometrical similitude is concerned. These experiments, covering a lapse of 10700 hours concern essentially: - thermal insulations associated with cooled structures; - thermal problems concerning the crossings in the upper structure for large components, the cover gas, the link between the reactor vessel and the slab; - problems in relation with liquid sodium condensation on the structures. Presently, endurance tests on components are going on. This paper follows the one presented at the first conference, its object being the presentation of the experimental results obtained on Gulliver as well as a description of the envisaged future programs

In this paper, a simple criterion for the C(R) stability of uncertain singularly perturbed systems is proposed. Such a criterion can be easily checked by some algebraic inequality. The upper bound of the singular perturbation parameter ε is also given by estimating the unique positive zero of specific function. Finally, a numerical example is provided to illustrate the main result

Stabilities in the upper 300 m in the Arabian Sea and the Bay of Bengal are computed and presented seasonwise. The water column in the Bay of Bengal is more strongly stratified than that in the Arabian Sea. These studies suggest that the vertical...

Engineers in the Integrated Design and Analysis Division (EV30) use a variety of different tools to aid in the design and analysis of the Ares I vehicle. One primary tool in use is Pro-Engineer. Pro-Engineer is a computer-aided design (CAD) software that allows designers to create computer generated structural models of vehicle structures. For the Upper State thrust cone, Pro-Engineer was used to assist in the design of a layout for two camera housings. These cameras observe the separation between the first and second stage of the Ares I vehicle. For the Ares I-X, one standard speed camera was used. The Ares I design calls for two separate housings, three cameras, and a lighting system. With previous design concepts and verification strategies in mind, a new layout for the two camera design concept was developed with members of the EV32 team. With the new design, Pro-Engineer was used to draw the layout to observe how the two camera housings fit with the thrust cone assembly. Future analysis of the camera housing design will verify the stability and clearance of the camera with other hardware present on the thrust cone.

The passive sizing system consists of a series of low-profile pulleys attached to the front and back of the shoulder bearings on a spacesuit soft upper torso (SUT), textile cord or stainless steel cable, and a modified commercial ratchet mechanism. The cord/cable is routed through the pulleys and attached to the ratchet mechanism mounted on the front of the spacesuit within reach of the suited subject. Upon actuating the ratchet mechanism, the shoulder bearing breadth is changed, providing variable upper torso sizing. The active system consists of a series of pressurizable nastic cells embedded into the fabric layers of a spacesuit SUT. These cells are integrated to the front and back of the SUT and are connected to an air source with a variable regulator. When inflated, the nastic cells provide a change in the overall shoulder bearing breadth of the spacesuit and thus, torso sizing. The research focused on the development of a high-performance sizing and actuation system. This technology has application as a suit-sizing mechanism to allow easier suit entry and more accurate suit fit with fewer torso sizes than the existing EMU (Extravehicular Mobility Unit) suit system. This advanced SUT will support NASA s Advanced EMU Evolutionary Concept of a two-sizes-fit-all upper torso for replacement of the current EMU hard upper torso (HUT). Both the passive and nastic sizing system approaches provide astronauts with real-time upper torso sizing, which translates into a more comfortable suit, providing enhanced fit resulting in improved crewmember performance during extravehicular activity. These systems will also benefit NASA by reducing flight logistics as well as overall suit system cost. The nastic sizing system approach provides additional structural redundancy over existing SUT designs by embedding additional coated fabric and uncoated fabric layers. Two sizing systems were selected to build into a prototype SUT: one active and one passive. From manned testing, it

In order to enhance the aeroelastic stability of a tiltrotor aircraft, a structural optimization framework is developed by applying a multi-level optimization approach. Each optimization level is designed to achieve a different purpose; therefore, relevant optimization schemes are selected for each...... level. Enhancement of the aeroelastic stability is selected as an objective in the upper-level optimization. This is achieved by seeking the optimal structural properties of a composite wing, including its mass, vertical, chordwise, and torsional stiffness. In the upper-level optimization, the response...... surface method (RSM), is selected. On the other hand, lower-level optimization seeks to determine the local detailed cross-sectional parameters, such as the ply orientation angles and ply thickness, which are relevant to the wing structural properties obtained at the upper-level. To avoid manufacturing...

Economists perceive moral hazard as an undesirable problem because it undermines efficiency. Carefully designed contracts can mitigate the moral hazard problem, but this assumes that a team is already formed. This paper demonstrates that these contracts are sometimes the reason why teams do...... not form. Formally, we study the team formation problem in which the agents’ efforts are not verifiable and the size of teams does not exceed quota r . We show that if the team members cannot make transfers, then moral hazard affects stability positively in a large class of games. For example, a stable...

Bicycling is a popular fitness activity in the United States and around the world. Because of the nature of the bicycling position, the neck and back are at risk for injury. One method to prevent these injuries is to ensure that the body's "core" is strong and stable. A strong and stable core also provides a platform to maximize power transfer, improving performance. Core exercises also may enhance recovery from intense bicycling efforts. Simple stability exercises can improve performance and may prevent injuries in bicyclists.

. With contributions from leading international scholars within the ﬁeld of security studies this book sets out to explain the main security knots preventing stability to emerge and on that basis to test whether a different approach in addressing these knots. By pursuing an innovative and different approach...... to the process of peacebuilding, this could prove as a useful tool, and for this reason politicians, ofﬁcials, and persons in general with an interest in this region will beneﬁt from the perspectives presented here....

The quality of tracks obtained from a streamer chamber is studied through the measurement of the streamer brightness. The stability of streamer tracks depends on the value of the high voltage applied and its shape. By using a single conical-type spark gap as the pulse shaper, stable brightness of the streamer tracks is attained. The data on the streamer brightness are compared with the result by Bulos et al. and it is found that the brightness is more strongly affected by field parameters than in their result.

The quality of tracks obtained from a streamer chamber is studied through the measurement of the streamer brightness. The stability of streamer tracks depends on the value of the high voltage applied and its shape. By using a single conical-type spark gap as the pulse shaper, stable brightness of the streamer tracks is attained. The data on the streamer brightness are compared with the result by Bulos et al. and it is found that the brightness is more strongly affected by field parameters than in their result. (author)

Full Text Available Researchers measure regime stability in autocratic contexts using a variety of data sources that capture distinct concepts. Often this research uses concepts developed for the study of democratic politics, such as leadership change or institutionalized authority, to construct measures of regime breakdown in non-democratic contexts. This article assesses whether the measure a researcher chooses influences the results they obtain by examining data on executive leadership, political authority, and autocratic regimes. We illustrate the conceptual differences between these variables by extending recent studies in the literature on the political consequences of non-tax revenue and unearned foreign income.

We measure the response of cylindrical shells to poking and identify a stability landscape, which fully characterizes the stability of perfect shells and imperfect ones in the case where a single defect dominates. We show that the landscape of stability is independent of the loading protocol and the poker geometry. Our results suggest that the complex stability of shells reduces to a low dimensional description. Tracking ridges and valleys of this landscape defines a natural phase-space coordinates for describing the stability of shells.

Full Text Available The aim of this paper is to introduce and study upper and lower faintly I-continuous multifunctions as a generalization of upper and lower I-continuous multifunctions, respectively.

In a pressurized water reactor with all of the in-core instrumentation gaining access to the core through the reactor head, each fuel assembly in which the instrumentation is introduced is aligned with an upper internals instrumentation guide-way. In the elevations above the upper internals upper support assembly, the instrumentation is protected and aligned by upper mounted instrumentation columns that are part of the instrumentation guide-way and extend from the upper support assembly towards the reactor head in hue with a corresponding head penetration. The upper mounted instrumentation columns are supported laterally at one end by an upper guide tube and at the other end by the upper support plate.

UGT) including gastro esophageal reflux (GERD), peptic ulcer diseases (PU), and upper gastrointestinal malignancies was not studied recently in Sudan. Objectives: The aim of this study is to know the pattern of endoscopic findings of upper ...

Bachelor thesis give an overview of possible solutions in upper limbs prosthetic fitting which is suitable for cycling. And provide enough information on modifications that should be performed on a bicycle so that it can be used by humans with upper extremity prostheses. It can be an essential guide for anyone looking for a solution that would allow a person with an amputated upper limb again sit on the bike. Keywords: amputation, upper limb prosthesis, prosthetic fitting, cycling

We study the stability of a barotropic vortex strip on a rotating sphere, as a simple model of jet streams. The flow is approximated by a piecewise-continuous vorticity distribution by zonal bands of uniform vorticity. The linear stability analysis shows that the vortex strip becomes stable as the strip widens or the rotation speed increases. When the vorticity constants in the upper and the lower regions of the vortex strip have the same positive value, the inner flow region of the vortex strip becomes the most unstable. However, when the upper and the lower vorticity constants in the polar regions have different signs, a complex pattern of instability is found, depending on the wavenumber of perturbations, and interestingly, a boundary far away from the vortex strip can be unstable. We also compute the nonlinear evolution of the vortex strip on the rotating sphere and compare with the linear stability analysis. When the width of the vortex strip is small, we observe a good agreement in the growth rate of perturbation at an early time, and the eigenvector corresponding to the unstable eigenvalue coincides with the most unstable part of the flow. We demonstrate that a large structure of rolling-up vortex cores appears in the vortex strip after a long-time evolution. Furthermore, the geophysical relevance of the model to jet streams of Jupiter, Saturn and Earth is examined.

We study the stability of a barotropic vortex strip on a rotating sphere, as a simple model of jet streams. The flow is approximated by a piecewise-continuous vorticity distribution by zonal bands of uniform vorticity. The linear stability analysis shows that the vortex strip becomes stable as the strip widens or the rotation speed increases. When the vorticity constants in the upper and the lower regions of the vortex strip have the same positive value, the inner flow region of the vortex strip becomes the most unstable. However, when the upper and the lower vorticity constants in the polar regions have different signs, a complex pattern of instability is found, depending on the wavenumber of perturbations, and interestingly, a boundary far away from the vortex strip can be unstable. We also compute the nonlinear evolution of the vortex strip on the rotating sphere and compare with the linear stability analysis. When the width of the vortex strip is small, we observe a good agreement in the growth rate of perturbation at an early time, and the eigenvector corresponding to the unstable eigenvalue coincides with the most unstable part of the flow. We demonstrate that a large structure of rolling-up vortex cores appears in the vortex strip after a long-time evolution. Furthermore, the geophysical relevance of the model to jet streams of Jupiter, Saturn and Earth is examined.

The plasma stabilization experiment is an effort to enhance stability in a mirror-confined plasma by trapping cold ions with rf fields applied near the mirror throats. Nagoya Type 3 antennas, coupled to a 60 kW rf power supply are mounted in the throats of the UTRC baseball magnet. An external washer gun provides a source of plasma for both streaming and confined plasma tests. Results show a strong stoppering effect on streaming plasmas and a marginal effect on confined plasmas. Theoretical calculations provide an explanation for the experimental observations. The field generates a ponderomotive force acting on the electrons. The resultant improvement in electron confinement changes the ambipolar potential and inhibits the flow of ions through the mirror throat. Criteria are derived for the validity of this trapping concept. The requisite field strengths are significantly lower than those required to trap ions directly. Scaling laws are developed for application of cold ion trapping to large mirror devices containing dense plasmas. The use of slow-wave antenna structures operated at frequencies above the lower hybrid frequency is recommended for these applications.

The stability analysis for a steel containment shell is presented herein. The containment is a freestanding shell consisting of a vertical cylinder with a hemispherical dome. It is stiffened by large ring stiffeners and relatively small longitudinal stiffeners. The containment vessel is subjected to both static and dynamic loads which can cause buckling. These loads must be combined prior to their use in a stability analysis. The buckling loads were computed with the aid of the ASME Code case N-284 used in conjunction with general purpose computer codes and in-house programs. The equations contained in the Code case were used to compute the knockdown factors due to shell imperfections. After these knockdown factors were applied to the critical stress states determined by freezing the maximum dynamic stresses and combining them with other static stresses, a linear bifurcation analysis was carried out with the aid of the BOSOR4 program. Since the containment shell contained large penetrations, the Code case had to be supplemented by a local buckling analysis of the shell area surrounding the largest penetration. This analysis was carried out with the aid of the NASTRAN program. Although the factor of safety against buckling obtained in this analysis was satisfactory, it is claimed that the use of the Code case knockdown factors are unduly conservative when applied to the analysis of buckling around penetrations. (orig.)

Full Text Available The increasing trend of partnership disruption among families with children in recent decades has been accompanied by substantial changes in traditional gender roles in industrialized countries. Yet, relatively little is known about the effects of changing gender relations on family stability in the European context. In this paper, we study such gender influences at the familial and societal level in Sweden and Hungary between the mid-1960s and the early 1990s. We focus on the disruption of the first parental union (i.e. the union in which a couple's first child was born. Our analysis is based on data extracted from the Swedish and Hungarian Fertility and Family Surveys of 1992/93. We use the method of hazard regression. The results suggest (i that the establishment of the dual-earner family model influences family stability only if it is accompanied by some changes in traditional gender relations within the family, and (ii that women's and men's labor-market behavior have different effects in spite of the relatively long history of women's (also mothers' labor-force participation in both Sweden and Hungary.

The U.S. Bureau of Mines, in an effort to improve coal conservation and utilization, is currently investigating longwall panel layouts to maximize coal recovery and minimize interactive problems in multiple-seam operations. When longwalling coalbeds in ascending order, subsidence of the overlying strata is an interactive problem that may influence the stability of the gate roads and longwall panels in the upper mine. To control interactive problems, two fundamental design approaches involved either offsetting of superimposing the gate roads and longwall panels. This paper involves analytical predictions and underground observations of longwall development ground control problems at a south-central Pennsylvania coal mine where gate road superpositioning was practiced

Full Text Available Abstract Background In this paper we are reporting one case of exsanguinating upper gastrointestinal tract (GIT bleed requiring massive blood transfusion and immediate life saving surgery. Case presentation A 30 years old female, 12 weeks pregnant was referred to our hospital from the earth-quake affected area of Kashmir with history of upper abdominal pain, haematemesis and melaena for one week. After stabilizing the patient, upper gastro-intestinal endoscopy was performed. It revealed gastric ulcer just distal to the gastro-esophageal junction on the lesser curvature. Biopsy from the ulcer edge led to profuse spurting of the blood and patient went into state of shock. Immediate resuscitation led to rebleeding and recurrence of post haemorrahagic shock. Conclusion The patient was immediately explored and total gastrectectomy with splenectomy concluded as life saving procedure. A review of literature was conducted to make this report possible.

Chronic inflammation of the upper airways is common and can arbitrarily be divided into rhinitis and rhinosinusitis. Infection and allergy represent two well-characterized and most frequently diagnosed etiologies of upper airway inflammation. Persistent upper airway inflammation caused by agents

A fixed orthodontic appliance was used to facilitate traction and correction of malalignement of the impacted upper left central incisor.Treatment outcome: Successful removal of the odontoma, full exposure of the crown of upper left central incisor and good alignment on the arch were achieved. Crowding on the upper and ...

This study examines the deformation of a flame propagating in a semi-closed horizontal tube under the action of perturbations artifically created on the flame surface by brief action of a transverse electrical field on the combustion zone. The experiments were performed in a tube with square section 36 x 36 mm, with electrodes on the upper and lower walls for application of an electric field to the combustion zone. A high negative voltage was applied to the upper electrode for a regulated time interval, with the lower electrode grounded. Concludes that development of artificially created perturbations on the surface of a flame propagating in a semiclosed horizontal tube has been observed; the magnitude of the perturbations increases by an exponential law; fine scale perturbations on the flame surface are suppressed by coarse scale perturbations; and the stable curved form of the flame front in the tube is ensured by the stabilizing action of the tube walls.

A hopping system is highly non-linear due to the nature of its dynamics, which has alternating phases in a cycle, flight and stance phases and related transitions. Every control method that stabilizes the hopping system satisfies the Poincaré stability condition. At the Poincaré section, a hopping system cycle is considered as discrete sectional data set. By controlling the sectional data in a discrete control form, we can generate a stable hopping cycle. We utilize phase-mapping matrices to build a Poincaré return map by approximating the dynamics of the hopping system with SLIP model. We can generate various Poincaré stable gait patterns with the approximated discrete control form which uses upper-body motions as inputs.

In order to minimize steady-state error with respect to uncertainties in robot control, proportional-integral-derivative (PID) control needs a big integral gain, or a neural compensator is added to the classical proportional-derivative (PD) control with a large derivative gain. Both of them deteriorate transient performances of the robot control. In this paper, we extend the popular neural PD control into neural PID control. This novel control is a natural combination of industrial linear PID control and neural compensation. The main contributions of this paper are semiglobal asymptotic stability of the neural PID control and local asymptotic stability of the neural PID control with a velocity observer which are proved with standard weight training algorithms. These conditions give explicit selection methods for the gains of the linear PID control. An experimental study on an upper limb exoskeleton with this neural PID control is addressed.

[Purpose] The purpose of this study was to investigate the preventive effects of stretching and stabilization exercises on muscle fatigue of the neck erector spine and upper trapezius muscles. [Subjects and Methods] The subjects of this study were 26 healthy university students (14 males and 12 females). Each subject was assigned randomly to each of three study groups in order to prevent order effect. The three groups included in this study were the no-exercise, stretching exercise, and neck stabilization exercise groups. The median electromyographic frequency was used as a gauge of muscle fatigue. [Results] Decreased muscle fatigue was demonstrated by an increase in the median electromyographic frequency values in all the four muscle groups in the comparison between conditions 1 and 3. In particular, statistically significant differences were found between the two conditions in the right upper trapezius muscle group. [Conclusion] These findings suggest that the effect of stretching and stabilization exercises can reduce muscle fatigue in mobile phone users.

Highlights: • We present on the development of the ITER upper port stub extension (UPSE) assembly tool and its mock-up. • The design of the upper port stub extension assembly tool has been developed to meet design requirements and assembly procedure from ITER organization. • The structural analysis of UPSE assembly tool has been carried out for verifying structural strength of this tool. In the results of the analysis for assessing structural stability of the UPSE assembly tool considering its dead weight, 15 tons of UPSE and safety factor 2.0, all stress are less than the allowable stress. • For verification of tool design and feasibility, mock-up of the UPSE assembly tool and its alignment system was fabricated and tested. - Abstract: The ITER upper port stub extension (UPSE) of the vacuum vessel (VV) is classified into 2 categories according to its location and time to install; one is the central (even) UPSE which is welded at upper central position of the VV sector and delivered after attached to VV at factory. The other is the lateral (odd) UPSE which is welded at upper lateral position of the VV sector and the significant difference with the central UPSE is that the lateral UPSE is welded after whole VVs welded because this should be installed between adjacent VVs at Tokamak in-pit. The design of the dedicated assembly tool for the UPSE assembly has been developed by the Korean domestic agency (KODA). Adjustment system of this assembly tool has been also designed to meet the functional requirements requested by IO. For design verification of the UPSE assembly tool mentioned above, a mock-up has been fabricated in full size and tested according to the UPSE functional requirements for the assembly procedure. And the structural analysis results of the current design will be presented also.

Full Text Available The concept of “responsible tourism”, which has spread rapidly in recent years, evokes conscious tourist behavior so as to minimize negative impacts on destinations, from an environmental, economic and cultural point of view. While intuitively comprehensible, the concept is not easy to operationalize in empirical studies. Facing this difficulty, our contribution illustrates an attempt to operatively define the concept within the framework of the development of a sustainable destination plan for the Ancient Cities of Upper Myanmar (ACUM. The paper describes the index adopted to survey and measure responsible attitudes among tourists and the main results of the research.

The purpose of this paper is to develop a case for the use of performance indicators by upper management to monitor the effectiveness of material management operations at nuclear power plants. The paper establishes that the use of performance indicators is not a pro forma matter. There are specific standards and conditions to which the material management operation must conform for the performance measures to be meaningful. The paper concludes with discussion of the application and use of specific performance indicators. Proper use of selected performance indicators can remove the mystery and uncertainty for management about an aspect of nuclear plant operations that has significant budget implications

The Mississippi River is one of the world's major river systems in size, habitat and biotic diversity, and biotic productivity. The navigable Upper Mississippi River, extending 1,370 km (850 mi) from St. Anthony Falls (Minnesota) to the confluence with the Ohio River, has been impounded by 27 locks and dams to enhance commercial navigation. The reach between two consecutive locks and dams is termed a "pool." The upstream portions of many pools are similar to the unimpounded river, whereas the downstream reaches are similar to reservoirs.

and industrial organization theories, we elaborate a cross-level conceptual model outlining the direct, mediating and moderating effects of the external environment on TMTs and their impact. Our review distinguishes between industry and institutional level of analyses and three types of environmental......This work reviews empirical research on TMTs with a specific emphasis on the role of the external environment. We extend the existing research on upper echelons theory, which has largely focused on the team and firm level of analyses of top management teams (TMT). Considering institutional...

NASA has established the goal of traveling beyond low-Earth orbit and extending manned exploration to Mars. The extended length of a Mars mission, along with the lack of resupply missions increases the importance of nutritional content in the food system. The purpose of this research is to assess the stability of vitamin supplementation in traditionally processed spaceflight foods. It is expected that commercially available fortificants will remain stable through long-duration missions if proper formulation, processing, and storage temperatures are all achieved. Five vitamins (vitamin E, vitamin K, pantothenic acid, folic acid, and thiamin) were blended into a vitamin premix (DSM, Freeport, TX); premixes were formulated to be compatible with current processing techniques (retort or freeze-dried), varied water activities (high or low), and packaging material. The overall goal of this process is to provide 25% of the recommended daily intake of each vitamin (per serving), following processing and two years of ambient storage. Four freeze-dried foods (Scrambled Eggs, Italian Vegetables, Potatoes Au Gratin, Noodles and Chicken) and four thermostabilized foods (Curry Sauce with Vegetables, Chicken Noodle Soup, Grilled Pork Chop, Rice with Butter) were produced (with and without the vitamin premix), to assess the impact of the added fortificant on color and taste, and to determine the stability of supplemental vitamins in spaceflight foods. The use of fortification in spaceflight foods appears to be a plausible mitigation step to inadequate nutrition. This is due to the ease of vitamin addition as well as the sustainability of the premixes through initial processing steps. Postprocessing analysis indicated that vitamin fortification with this premix did not immediately impact organoleptic properties of the food. At this stage, the largest hurdle to fortification is the preciseness to which vitamins can be added; the total amount of vitamins required for production is 10

NASA has established the goal of traveling beyond low-Earth orbit and extending manned exploration to Mars. The length of proposed Mars missions and the lack of resupply missions increases the importance of nutritional content in the food system, which will need a five-year shelf life. The purpose of this research is to assess the stability of vitamin supplementation in traditionally processed spaceflight foods. It is expected that commercially available fortification nutrients will remain stable through a long duration exploration mission at sufficient levels if compatible formulation, processing, and storage temperatures are achieved. Five vitamins (vitamin E, vitamin K, pantothenic acid, folic acid, and thiamin) were blended into a vitamin premix (DSM, Freeport, TX) such that the vitamin concentration per serving equaled 25% of the recommended daily intake after two years of ambient storage. Four freeze-dried foods (Scrambled Eggs, Italian Vegetables, Potatoes Au Gratin, Noodles and Chicken) and four thermo-stabilized foods (Curry Sauce with Vegetables, Chicken Noodle Soup, Grilled Pork Chop, Rice with Butter) were produced, with and without the vitamin premix, to assess the impact of the added fortification on color and taste and to determine the stability of supplemental vitamins in spaceflight foods. The addition of fortification to spaceflight foods did not greatly alter the organoleptic properties of most products. In most cases, overall acceptability scores remained above 6.0 (minimum acceptable score) following six months and one year of low-temperature storage. Likewise, the color of fortified products appears to be preserved over one year of storage. The only exceptions were Grilled pork Chop and Chicken Noodle Soup whose individual components appeareddegrade rapidly over one year of storage. Finally, most vitamins appeared to be stable during long-term storage. The only exception was thiamin, which degraded rapidly during the first year of storage at

About this textbook An ideal text for students that ties together classical and modern topics of advanced vibration analysis in an interesting and lucid manner. It provides students with a background in elementary vibrations with the tools necessary for understanding and analyzing more complex...... dynamical phenomena that can be encountered in engineering and scientific practice. It progresses steadily from linear vibration theory over various levels of nonlinearity to bifurcation analysis, global dynamics and chaotic vibrations. It trains the student to analyze simple models, recognize nonlinear...... and physics. This edition includes a new chapter on the useful effects of fast vibrations and many new exercise problems. Written for: Students in mechanical or structural engineering. Keywords: Nonlinear Vibrations, Bifurcations, Chaotic Vibrations, Vibrations and Stability....

Helmet-mounted displays (HMDs) present flight, navigation, and weapon information in the pilot's line of sight. The HMD was developed to allow the pilot to retain aircraft and weapon information while looking off boresight. Symbol stabilization is a key issue for HMDs. In current equipment, the lack of compensation for pilot head motion creates excessive workload during hovering and nap-of-the-earth flight. This high workload translates into excessive training requirements. At the same time, misleading symbology makes interpretation of the height of obstructions impossible. A set of standardized coordinate transformations are necessary for the development of HMD symbology and the control laws. Part of the problem is there is no agreed upon set of definitions or descriptions for how HMD symbols are driven to compensate for pilot head motion. A candidate set of coordinate definitions is proposed to address this issue.

are identified and empirically explored: (i) job matching, (ii) labour market value, and (iii) personal commitment. Entrepreneurs appear to be more productive and thus better matched compared to wageworkers. However, they also appear to be locked in entrepreneurship because of their anticipated lower value......This paper challenges the conventional belief that entrepreneurship is an unstable career path. Using longitudinal matched employer–employee data from Denmark, the analysis reveals that a transition to entrepreneurship decreases individual's employment turnover tendency. Three explanations...... in the labour market and because of their personal attachment to the venture. The counter-intuitive finding – entrepreneurship yields greater employment stability – only holds with respect to subsequent transitions to wagework and not for new venture founding. The results have implications for our understanding...

Many U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) remediation sites have performed roof repair and roof replacement to stabilize facilities prior to performing deactivation and decommissioning (D&D) activities. This project will review the decision criteria used by these DOE sites, along with the type of repair system used for each different roof type. Based on this information, along with that compiled from roofing experts, a decision-making tool will be generated to aid in selecting the proper roof repair systems. Where appropriate, innovative technologies will be reviewed and applied to the decision-making tool to determine their applicability. Based on the results, applied research and development will be conducted to develop a method to repair these existing roofing systems, while providing protection for the D and D worker in a cost-efficient manner.

Many U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) remediation sites have performed roof repair and roof replacement to stabilize facilities prior to performing deactivation and decommissioning (D and D) activities. This project will review the decision criteria used by these DOE sites, along with the type of repair system used for each different roof type. Based on this information, along with that compiled from roofing experts, a decision-making tool will be generated to aid in selecting the proper roof repair systems. Where appropriate, innovative technologies will be reviewed and applied to the decision-making tool to determine their applicability. Based on the results, applied research and development will be conducted to develop a method to repair these existing roofing systems, while providing protection for the D and D worker in a cost-efficient manner

The European Stability Mechanism (ESM) was created to save the euro from collapse. But the Eurozone’s bailout fund is not actually an EU institution. This has a series of knock-on effects, making it difficult to hold the ESM to EU standards as regards transparency, legal review by the CJEU......, but also access to documents regulation and accountability vis-à-vis the European Parliament, the Court of Auditors and Anti-Fraud Office. Transparency International EU’s in-depth study of the governance and accountability of the ESM provides the first comprehensive analysis of the newest European economic...... governance institution, and makes a number of concrete recommendations. To make the ESM accountable, more transparency is in order, about where decisions are taken and who calls the shots. Is it the ESM, the Eurogroup, the Commission, or a coalition of Member States? Our report launch attempts to answer...

dynamical phenomena that can be encountered in engineering and scientific practice. It progresses steadily from linear vibration theory over various levels of nonlinearity to bifurcation analysis, global dynamics and chaotic vibrations. It trains the student to analyze simple models, recognize nonlinear...... and physics. This edition includes a new chapter on the useful effects of fast vibrations and many new exercise problems. Written for: Students in mechanical or structural engineering. Keywords: Nonlinear Vibrations, Bifurcations, Chaotic Vibrations, Vibrations and Stability.......About this textbook An ideal text for students that ties together classical and modern topics of advanced vibration analysis in an interesting and lucid manner. It provides students with a background in elementary vibrations with the tools necessary for understanding and analyzing more complex...

Full Text Available We discuss the issue of complementarity between the confining phase and the Higgs phase for gauge theories in which there are no light particles below the scale of confinement or spontaneous symmetry breaking. We show with a number of examples that even though the low energy effective theories are the same (and trivial, discontinuous changes in the structure of heavy stable particles can signal a phase transition and thus we can sometimes argue that two phases which have different structures of heavy particles that cannot be continuously connected and thus the phases cannot be complementary. We discuss what this means and suggest that such “stability conditions” can be a useful physical check for complementarity.

The parabolized stability equations (PSE) are a new approach to analyze the streamwise evolution of single or interacting Fourier modes in weakly nonparallel flows such as boundary layers. The concept rests on the decomposition of every mode into a slowly varying amplitude function and a wave function with slowly varying wave number. The neglect of the small second derivatives of the slowly varying functions with respect to the streamwise variable leads to an initial boundary-value problem that can be solved by numerical marching procedures. The PSE approach is valid in convectively unstable flows. The equations for a single mode are closely related to those of the traditional eigenvalue problems for linear stability analysis. However, the PSE approach does not exploit the homogeneity of the problem and, therefore, can be utilized to analyze forced modes and the nonlinear growth and interaction of an initial disturbance field. In contrast to the traditional patching of local solutions, the PSE provide the spatial evolution of modes with proper account for their history. The PSE approach allows studies of secondary instabilities without the constraints of the Floquet analysis and reproduces the established experimental, theoretical, and computational benchmark results on transition up to the breakdown stage. The method matches or exceeds the demonstrated capabilities of current spatial Navier-Stokes solvers at a small fraction of their computational cost. Recent applications include studies on localized or distributed receptivity and prediction of transition in model environments for realistic engineering problems. This report describes the basis, intricacies, and some applications of the PSE methodology.

Abstract Autoimmune gastritis is often suspected for its hematologic findings, and rarely the diagnosis is made for the presence of gastrointestinal symptoms. Aims of this cross-sectional study were to assess in a large cohort of patients affected by autoimmune gastritis the occurrence and the pattern of gastrointestinal symptoms and to evaluate whether symptomatic patients are characterized by specific clinical features. Gastrointestinal symptoms of 379 consecutive autoimmune gastritis patients were systematically assessed and classified following Rome III Criteria. Association between symptoms and anemia pattern, positivity to gastric autoantibodies, Helicobacter pylori infection, and concomitant autoimmune disease were evaluated. In total, 70.2% of patients were female, median age 55 years (range 17–83). Pernicious anemia (53.6%), iron deficiency anemia (34.8%), gastric autoantibodies (68.8%), and autoimmune disorders (41.7%) were present. However, 56.7% of patients complained of gastrointestinal symptoms, 69.8% of them had exclusively upper symptoms, 15.8% only lower and 14.4% concomitant upper and lower symptoms. Dyspepsia, subtype postprandial distress syndrome was the most represented, being present in 60.2% of symptomatic patients. Univariate and multivariate analyses showed that age gastritis is associated in almost 60% of cases with gastrointestinal symptoms, in particular dyspepsia. Dyspepsia is strictly related to younger age, no smoking, and absence of anemia. PMID:28072728

Full Text Available The loss of all or part of the arm is a catastrophic event for a patient and a significant challenge to rehabilitation professionals and prosthetic engineers. The large, upper extremity amputee population in India has, historically, been poorly served, with most having no access to support or being provided with ineffective prostheses. In recent years, the arrival of organisations like Otto Bock has made high quality service standards and devices accessible to more amputees. This review attempts to provide surgeons and other medical professionals with an overview of the multidisciplinary, multistage rehabilitation process and the solution options available. With worldwide upper extremity prosthesis rejection rates at significant levels, the review also describes some of the factors which influence the outcome. This is particularly relevant in the Indian context where the service can involve high cost investments. It is the responsibility of all contributing professionals to guide vulnerable patients through the process and try to maximise the benefit that can be obtained within the resources available.

This paper presents a new gravity compensation method for an upper extremity exoskeleton mounted on a wheel chair. This new device is dedicated to regular and efficient rehabilitation training for post-stroke and injured people without the continuous presence of a therapist. The exoskeleton is a wearable robotic device attached to the human arm. The user provides information signals to the controller by means of the force sensors around the wrist and the arm, and the robot controller generates the appropriate control signals for different training strategies and paradigms. This upper extremity exoskeleton covers four basic degrees of freedom of the shoulder and the elbow joints with three additional adaptability degrees of freedom in order to match the arm anatomy of different users. For comfortable and efficient rehabilitation, a new heuristic method have been studied and applied on our prototype in order to calculate the gravity compensation model without the need to identify the mass parameters. It is based on the geometric model of the robot and accurate torque measurements of the prototype's actuators in a set of specifically chosen joint positions. The weight effect has been successfully compensated so that the user can move his arm freely while wearing the exoskeleton without feeling its mass.

Purpose. - To study the frequency and risk factors for upper limb lymphedema through a series of patients treated for breast cancer. Patients and methods. - It is a retrospective study about 222 patients treated for breast cancer during the period between February 1993 and December 2003 in Sfax hospitals. Average age was 51 years (27-92 years). Tumour was T2 in 59% of cases. All patients had surgery with lymph node dissection. Infiltrating ductal carcinoma was the most frequent histological type (80% of cases), with predominant SBR II grade (62%). The mean number of removed lymph nodes was 12 (2-33). Axillary lymph node metastasis was detected in 124 patients. Radiotherapy was delivered in 200 patients, including axillary irradiation in 30 cases. The mean follow-up was 68 months (12-120). Results. - Lymphedema appeared in 23% of cases (51 patients), 14 months after surgery (mean period). Lymphedema affected the brachium in 17% of cases, the forearm in 12% of cases and all upper limb in 71% of cases. Fifty percent of patients had rehabilitation. However, improvement of lymphedema was obtained in 18 cases. Parameters predicting lymphedema were studied. Significant risk factors were obesity, infection and a number of removed lymph node above 10. The type of surgery, axillary irradiation and shoulder abduction deficit did not predict lymphedema. Conclusion. - Lymphedema of the arm is a frequent consequence of breast cancer treatment. The risk of lymphedema is correlated with obesity, infection and a number of removed lymph node above 10. (authors)

To measure consumer satisfaction with upper limb prosthetics and provide an enumerated list of design priorities for future developments. A self-administered, anonymous survey collected information on participant demographics, history of and goals for prosthesis use, satisfaction, and design priorities. The questionnaire was available online and in paper format and was distributed through healthcare providers, community support groups, and one prosthesis manufacturer; 242 participants of all ages and levels of upper limb absence completed the survey. Rates of rejection for myoelectric hands, passive hands, and body-powered hooks were 39%, 53%, and 50%, respectively. Prosthesis wearers were generally satisfied with their devices while prosthesis rejecters were dissatisfied. Reduced prosthesis weight emerged as the highest priority design concern of consumers. Lower cost ranked within the top five design priorities for adult wearers of all device types. Life-like appearance is a priority for passive/cosmetic prostheses, while improved harness comfort, wrist movement, grip control and strength are required for body-powered devices. Glove durability, lack of sensory feedback, and poor dexterity were also identified as design priorities for electric devices. Design priorities reflect consumer goals for prosthesis use and vary depending on the type of prosthesis used and age. Future design efforts should focus on the development of more light-weight, comfortable prostheses.

There are some increases of the temperature of the hydroxyl emission (delta T approximately 20 K, z approximately 90 km) and of the intensity of the 63000 oxygen emission (delta I/I approximately 20 per cent, z approximately 250 km) for the lee of the mountains at distances about 150 km in the case of the latitudinal direction of the wind (U approximately 10 m/s) at the 3000 m level. Airflow motions over mountains may be one of the possible processes of generation of wave disturbances penetrating into the upper atmospheres (HINES, 1974; LINDZEN, 1971). The purpose here is to study the penetration of orographic disturbances into upper atmosphere. Airplane measurements of emission variations of hydroxyl and atomic oxygen 6300 A near the Northern Ural mountains were made. Several nocturnal flights were carried out in March, 1980 and January to February, 1981 at heights about 3000 m along 64 deg northern latitude in the Ural region. Spectrographs SP-48 with electronic image converters registration for OH ((9,4) and (5,1) bands - 7700 to 8100 A) and OI (6300 A) emissions were used. The zenith region was observed, and exposure time was 2 minutes. This corresponds to averaging of the emission intensities along the airplane trace over a distance of 10 km. Simultaneous measurements of atmospheric temperature variations at the flight altitude were made.

This book is the first general introduction to stability of ordinary and functional differential equations by means of fixed point techniques. It contains an extensive collection of new and classical examples worked in detail and presented in an elementary manner. Most of this text relies on three principles: a complete metric space, the contraction mapping principle, and an elementary variation of parameters formula. The material is highly accessible to upper-level undergraduate students in the mathematical sciences, as well as working biologists, chemists, economists, engineers, mathematicia

The relationship between particle size and concentration and turbidity has been developed for a polydispersed system. The stability of acoustically prepared emulsions of C36H74 in water were determined from turbidimetry and found to be in agreement with the stability determined by the freezing method. The turbidimetry method can be used for determining the stability of various emulsions easily and inexpensively. 11 references.

The upper airway (UAW) is intrinsically unstable and susceptible to collapse when the negative inspiratory intraluminal pressure exceeds the stabilizing forces which prevent obstruction. In the present study we evaluated mechanisms by which UAW patency is maintained in the presence of increased inspiratory flows when respiration is stimulated. In seven anesthetized dogs breathing spontaneously through a low tracheostomy, the UAW was isolated by a second tracheostomy directed rostrally. UAW pressure-flow relationship and stability against collapse were evaluated during steady flow in the inspiratory direction while the animals were breathing 100% O2 or a hypercapnic gas mixture. The pressure-flow curves of the isolated UAW demonstrated the characteristic pattern of collapsible tubes. Steady state hypercapnia resulted in lower UAW resistance during both inspiration and expiration. UAW resistance decreased linearly as PCO2 and ventilation increased over the course of CO2 rebreathing. In addition, during hypercapnia the critical negative intraluminal pressure required to induce UAW collapse and obstruction increased from -4.3 +/- 0.9 to -8.5 +/- 1.5 SE cm H2O (p less than 0.01), indicating increased stability of the UAW. Since hypercapnia is known to stimulate UAW muscles, our findings suggest that increased UAW muscle activity improves UAW patency both by decreasing their resistance to airflow, and by increasing UAW walls rigidity and stability against collapse.

Radiohumeral stability to forced translation was experimentally analyzed in 8 osteocartilaginous joint preparations. The joints were dislocated in 8 centrifugal directions at 12 different combinations of joint flexion and rotation while a constant joint compression force of 23 N was applied....... Stability was measured as the maximum resistance to translation. On average, the specimens could resist a transverse force of 16.4 N (range, 13.0-19.1 N). Stability was greater in some directions than in others. Rotating the joint changed the direction at which stability was greatest, whereas joint flexion...

This paper discusses an adaptive deadbeat stabilizer to improve power system damping. The method involves normalized recursive least squares estimation to yield a reduced order state space model of the power system. This reduced order model is used to design the required deadbeat stabilizer recursively, along with an adaptive observer to estimate the unknown states.

Full Text Available This paper focuses on the model of a class of nonlinear stochastic delay systems with Poisson jumps based on Lyapunov stability theory, stochastic analysis, and inequality technique. The existence and uniqueness of the adapted solution to such systems are proved by applying the fixed point theorem. By constructing a Lyapunov function and using Doob’s martingale inequality and Borel-Cantelli lemma, sufficient conditions are given to establish the exponential stability in the mean square of such systems, and we prove that the exponentially stable in the mean square of such systems implies the almost surely exponentially stable. The obtained results show that if stochastic systems is exponentially stable and the time delay is sufficiently small, then the corresponding stochastic delay systems with Poisson jumps will remain exponentially stable, and time delay upper limit is solved by using the obtained results when the system is exponentially stable, and they are more easily verified and applied in practice.

Full Text Available This paper focuses on a class of stochastic differential equations with mixed delay based on Lyapunov stability theory, Itô formula, stochastic analysis, and inequality technique. A sufficient condition for existence and uniqueness of the adapted solution to such systems is established by employing fixed point theorem. Some sufficient conditions of exponential stability and corollaries for such systems are obtained by using Lyapunov function. By utilizing Doob’s martingale inequality and Borel-Cantelli lemma, it is shown that the exponentially stable in the mean square of such systems implies the almost surely exponentially stable. In particular, our theoretical results show that if stochastic differential equation is exponentially stable and the time delay is sufficiently small, then the corresponding stochastic differential equation with mixed delay will remain exponentially stable. Moreover, time delay upper limit is solved by using our theoretical results when the system is exponentially stable, and they are more easily verified and applied in practice.

The abdominal muscles, upper extremities, and diaphragm work in synergy to maintain trunk stability during breathing. This study aimed to investigate the effects of a breathing technique combined with dynamic upper extremity exercise on the pulmonary function of healthy adults. Forty male participants in their 20s were recruited and randomly divided into two groups of 20 participants each: the experimental group performed a dynamic upper extremity exercise with breathing, and the control group only performed the breathing exercise. The experimental duration was 4 weeks, and both groups performed each training three times per a week. We performed pulmonary function test. Forced vital capacity increased significantly in both groups after the training period, but it was not significantly different between the two groups. Similarly, the forced expiratory volume at one second was not significantly different after training, but was significantly different between the two groups. In contrast, the peak expiratory flow did not show any significant within-group or between-group difference. Consequently, we came up with result that breathing exercise with dynamic upper extremity exercise improves pulmonary function. Our findings indicate that the breathing and dynamic upper extremity exercise described here should be considered in patients who require breathing therapy, since it seems to have beneficial effects on pulmonary function.

Objective: This course will give an overview of the role of radiation therapy in the treatment of gastrointestinal malignancies in the upper abdomen, with an emphasis on carcinomas of the stomach, pancreas and biliary tract. For each site, information will be presented related to failure patterns with conventional surgical treatment and the indications for surgery for different stages of disease. The possible uses of radiation therapy as an adjuvant to surgical resection will be discussed as well as the use of radiation therapy alone. In addition, the combination of radiation therapy with chemotherapy will be discussed for each of these sites, as well as the information available at present as to the optimal way to combine chemotherapy with radiation therapy. Radiation therapy is not generally accepted to have a role in the treatment of patients with adenocarcinomas of the stomach. This is related to the fact that gastric cancer has been standardly treated with surgical resection alone, and delivery of high dose radiation therapy to the upper abdomen can be difficult because of the sensitivity of nearby normal tissues. Nonetheless, data on failure patterns suggest that local recurrence is common in patients with disease through the gastric wall and with positive nodes. Although there is some suggestive data to indicate that radiation therapy is effective as an adjuvant, results of an ongoing trial will be necessary for determination of the exact role of radiation therapy. Possible uses of radiation therapy as preoperative therapy or given alone will also be briefly discussed. Radiation therapy has been often used in the treatment of pancreatic adenocarcinomas, either alone or combined with surgical resection. Its use is more common for this site both because of the extremely poor prognosis of standard therapies, and because of the difficulty in performing an adequate surgical resection. Data will be reviewed suggesting that radiation therapy has a role when

Full Text Available New ammonoid and conodont data from Germany, the Montagne Noire (France and southeastern Morocco document a complex sequence of sedimentary events and faunal changes within an extended Givetian (late Middle Devonian Taghanic Event Interval or Taghanic Biocrisis. Direct association of supposed typical middle Givetian ammonoids, trilobites and corals with upper Givetian marker taxa such as pharciceratids have been found, for example, in Moroccan and French time equivalents of the New York Upper Tully Limestone. The initial and eustatic Taghanic Onlap level is not known to be characterized by the first appearance of any widespread index conodont, goniatite or other taxon. A future upper Givetian substage, therefore, might be based either on the entry of Ozarkodina semialternans or on the first appearance of Schmidtognathus hermanni. The semialternans Zone correlates with a third sedimentary cycle within the Tully Limestone and with the spread of the first Pharciceratidae. Eobeloceratidae (Mzerrebites juvenocostatus and Archoceratidae n. fam. (Atlantoceras. The (Lower hermanni Zone is marked by a post-event transgression which led to a significant conodont radiation and to a further diversification of Pharciceratidae and Eobeloceratidae (Mz. erraticus. Neue Ammonoideen- und Conodonten-Daten aus Deutschland, Frankreich (Montagne Noire und aus Südost-Marokko belegen eine komplexe Abfolge sedimentärer Ereignisse und von Faunenwechseln in einem längerfristigen Taghanic-Event-Intervall bzw. einer Taghanic-Biokrise des Givetiums (oberes Mittel-Devon. Direkte Vergesellschaftungen von Ammonoideen, Trilobiten und Korallen, die früher als typische Mittel-Givetium-Formen angesehen wurden, mit Leitformen des Ober-Givetiums (z. B. Pharciceraten konnten in Marokko und Frankreich in Zeitequivalenten des Oberen Tully-Kalkes von New York nachgewiesen werden. Der initiale und eustatisch bedingte Taghanic Onlap ist bisher nicht durch das Einsetzen eines weit

Objective: This course will give an overview of the role of radiation therapy in the treatment of gastrointestinal malignancies in the upper abdomen, with an emphasis on carcinomas of the stomach, pancreas and biliary tract. For each site, information will be presented related to failure patterns with conventional surgical treatment and the indications for surgery for different stages of disease. The possible uses of radiation therapy as an adjuvant to surgical resection will be discussed as well as the use of radiation therapy alone. In addition, the combination of radiation therapy with chemotherapy will be discussed for each of these sites, as well as the information available at present as to the optimal way to combine chemotherapy with radiation therapy. Radiation therapy is not generally accepted to have a role in the treatment of patients with adenocarcinomas of the stomach. This is related to the fact that gastric cancer has been standardly treated with surgical resection alone, and delivery of high dose radiation therapy to the upper abdomen can be difficult because of the sensitivity of nearby normal tissues. Nonetheless, data on failure patterns suggest that local recurrence is common in patients with disease through the gastric wall and with positive nodes. Although there is some suggestive data to indicate that radiation therapy is effective as an adjuvant, results of an ongoing trial will be necessary for determination of the exact role of radiation therapy. Possible uses of radiation therapy as preoperative therapy or given alone will also be briefly discussed. Radiation therapy has been often used in the treatment of pancreatic adenocarcinomas, either alone or combined with surgical resection. Its use is more common for this site both because of the extremely poor prognosis of standard therapies, and because of the difficulty in performing an adequate surgical resection. Data will be reviewed suggesting that radiation therapy has a role when

The terrestrial upper atmosphere is cooling and contracting in response to anthropogenic increases in greenhouse gases. This effect, the opposite of troposheric behavior, is primarily due to infrared radiative cooling by heterogeneous molecules, particularly carbon dioxide, as predicted by Roble and Dickinson in 1989. Upper atmosphere global change has been observed in several ways, most definitively by changes in thermospheric density inferred from satellite drag measurements, or, more controversially, in the possible increase of polar mesospheric clouds. When the TIMED mission launched in 2001, climate change was on its agenda, but surreptitiously, because trends were not expected to be observable during a supposed two-year mission. Now, 15 years later, TIMED has become a pathfinder for climate analysis, particularly through carbon dioxide emissions measured by the SABER instrument. New complexities have emerged, however: the possibility that the carbon dioxide mixing ratio near the mesopause is increasing faster with increasing altitude, and the possibility that solar ultraviolet and geomagnetic activity are exhibiting a decreasing trend over the past one-to-three solar cycles. We have conducted simulations of anthropogenic change in the upper atmosphere using the Whole Atmosphere Community Climate Model - eXtended (WACCM-X), a component of the NCAR Community Earth System Model. The atmospheric response was evaluated using carbon dioxide, methane, and CFC lower boundary conditions from the late 1900's and early 2000's. The results show that the thermosphere should cool at a rate of several degrees per decade under present rates of change, largely driven by the effect of carbon dioxide cooling on thermospheric scale heights. Changes in middle atmosphere temperature, methane, and ozone, have much smaller effects on the thermosphere. Thermospheric cooling causes the ionosphere to also contract to lower altitude, but with small changes induced in NmF2. Whole

Carbon-carbon (C-C) composite nozzle extensions are of interest for use on a variety of launch vehicle upper stage engines and in-space propulsion systems. The C-C nozzle extension technology and test capabilities being developed are intended to support National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) and United States Air Force (USAF) requirements, as well as broader industry needs. Recent and on-going efforts at the Marshall Space Flight Center (MSFC) are aimed at both (a) further developing the technology and databases for nozzle extensions fabricated from specific CC materials, and (b) developing and demonstrating low-cost capabilities for testing composite nozzle extensions. At present, materials development work is concentrating on developing a database for lyocell-based C-C that can be used for upper stage engine nozzle extension design, modeling, and analysis efforts. Lyocell-based C-C behaves in a manner similar to rayon-based CC, but does not have the environmental issues associated with the use of rayon. Future work will also further investigate technology and database gaps and needs for more-established polyacrylonitrile- (PAN-) based C-C's. As a low-cost means of being able to rapidly test and screen nozzle extension materials and structures, MSFC has recently established and demonstrated a test rig at MSFC's Test Stand (TS) 115 for testing subscale nozzle extensions with 3.5-inch inside diameters at the attachment plane. Test durations of up to 120 seconds have been demonstrated using oxygen/hydrogen propellants. Other propellant combinations, including the use of hydrocarbon fuels, can be used if desired. Another test capability being developed will allow the testing of larger nozzle extensions (13.5- inch inside diameters at the attachment plane) in environments more similar to those of actual oxygen/hydrogen upper stage engines. Two C-C nozzle extensions (one lyocell-based, one PAN-based) have been fabricated for testing with the larger

A thermally compensated mirror is described that is formed by a laminated structure. The structure is comprised of a front plate having a reflective front surface and having a plurality of grooves formed in the rear surface for conducting coolant fluid in heat exchanging relation with said reflective surface, a rear plate having coolant inlet and coolant outlet openings extending therethrough, a minimum temperature plate interposed between said front and rear plates and formed with a plurality of coolant distribution passageways coupled to receive coolant fluid from said coolant inlet and oriented to distribute said coolant fluid in a manner to establish a minimum temperature plane parallel to said reflective surface, a temperature stabilization plate interposed between said front plate and said minimum temperature plate and formed with a plurality of coolant distribution channels coupled to receive said coolant fluid after said coolant fluid has passed in heat exchanging relation with said reflective surface and oriented to distribute said coolant fluid in a manner to establish a uniform temperature plane parallel to said reflective surface, and means for circulating said coolant fluid through said structure in a predetermined path. (U.S.)

Ferrocyanide wastes were generated at the Hanford Site during the mid to late 1950s as a result of efforts to create more tank space for the storage of high-level nuclear waste. The ferrocyanide process was developed to remove 137 CS from existing waste and newly generated waste that resulted from the recovery of valuable uranium in Hanford Site waste tanks. During the course of research associated with the ferrocyanide process, it was recognized that ferrocyanide materials, when mixed with sodium nitrate and/or sodium nitrite, were capable of violent exothermic reaction. This chemical reactivity became an issue in the 1980s, when safety issues associated with the storage of ferrocyanide wastes in Hanford Site tanks became prominent. These safety issues heightened in the late 1980s and led to the current scrutiny of the safety issues associated with these wastes, as well as current research and waste management programs. Testing to provide information on the nature of possible tank reactions is ongoing. This document supplements the information presented in Summary of Single-Shell Tank Waste Stability, WHC-EP-0347, March 1991 (Borsheim and Kirch 1991), which evaluated several issues. This supplement only considers information particular to ferrocyanide wastes

Pre-surgical orthodontic treatments have the objective of establishing harmony between the dental arches by moving the teeth to ideal positions in relation to their bony bases, in order to achieve adequate antero-posterior occlusal and transverse relationships at the moment of surgery. Among the typical requirements in terms of dental compensations presented by Class III patients that require surgery, the inclination of anterior teeth must be changed in most cases by proclination of the lower incisors and retroclination of upper incisors. To achieve the inclination of the upper incisors, many different alternatives have been proposed, such as inter-proximal reduction, extractions, or distalization of upper molars, which has not been widely reported in the literature as a means to decompensate Class III malocclusion prior to surgery. This article describes the Bone Supported Pendulum (BSP) as an efficient therapeutic option to distalize molars through the use of an appliance stabilized to the palate by mini-implants, thus avoiding extractions and providing good interdigitation and coordination of the dental arches.

Full Text Available Aim of the Study. To compare the effect of glossopharyngeal nerve block with topical anesthesia on the tolerance of patients to upper gastrointestinal endoscopy. Methods. We performed a clinical trial in one hundred patients undergoing upper gastrointestinal endoscopy. Subjects were randomly assigned to one of the following two groups: (1 treatment with bilateral glossopharyngeal nerve block (GFNB and intravenous midazolam or (2 treatment with topical anesthetic (TASS and intravenous midazolam. We evaluated sedation, tolerance to the procedure, hemodynamic stability, and adverse symptoms. Results. We studied 46 men and 54 women, from 17 to 78 years of age. The procedure was reported without discomfort in 48 patients (88% in the GFNB group and 32 (64% in the TAAS group; 6 patients (12% in GFNB group and 18 (36% in TAAS group reported the procedure as little discomfort (χ2=3.95, P=0.04. There was no difference in frequency of nausea (4% in both groups and retching, 4% versus 8% for GFNB and TASS group, respectively (P=0.55. Conclusions. The use of glossopharyngeal nerve block provides greater comfort and tolerance to the patient undergoing upper gastrointestinal endoscopy. It also reduces the need for sedation.

Upper respiratory tract infections are frequent in athletes. Mainly of viral origin, they are treated symptomatically. Infectious mononucleosis is associated with an estimated 2% per hundred risk of splenic rupture, which occurs between day four and twenty one of the illness. Therefore return to play guidelines recommend avoiding, exercice during the first twenty one days. Physical exercise seems to influence the immune system, depending on the intensity and length of it. But the relationship between physical exercise and risk of infections remains controversial: some articles showing an increase in risk, whereas others suggesting a certain degree of protection, in athletes. The actual generally accepted working theory is the J-curve proposed by Nieman. This model remains to be formally proven.

The High Performance Light Water Reactor (HPLWR) is a new type of reactor cooled with supercritical water. The cooling water is heated in 3 stages. In the first stage, the evaporator, the water flows to the top, then flows down in superheater 1 before again flowing upward in superheater II. To prevent peak temperatures and enthalpies being passed on from one heating stage to the next, and to homogenize temperature, the water is mixed in two mixing chambers between the heating stages. Mixing in the upper plenum was computed as a reference case by the STAR-CD CFD code. For quantitative evaluation of mixing, passive scalars were added to the flow and evaluated. Further studies will be conducted to improve mixing by appropriate design measures. (orig.)

Full Text Available Corrosive injury of the upper gastrointestinal tract is a worldwide clinical problem, mostly occurring in children. Alkaline agents produce deeper injuries whereas acidic agents produce superficial injuries usually. Hoarseness, stridor, and respiratory distress indicate airway injury. Dysphagia, odynophagia, and drooling of saliva suggest esophageal injury whereas abdominal pain, nausea, and vomiting are indicative of stomach injury. X-rays should be done to rule out perforation. Endoscopy is usually recommended in the first 12–48 h although it is safe up to 96 h after caustic ingestion. Endoscopy should be performed with caution and gentle insufflation. Initial management includes getting intravenous access and replacement of fluids. Hyperemia and superficial ulcerations have excellent recovery while deeper injuries require total parenteral nutrition or feeding jejunostomy. Patients suspected of perforation should be subjected to laparotomy. Common complications after corrosive injury are esophageal stricture, gastric outlet obstruction, and development of esophageal and gastric carcinoma.

The Danish upper secondary school is currently undergoing a hyper complex process of modernization where new organizational forms, teacher-student roles and principles of management are introduced. The process is set-off most directly by a new reform. This article explores the implementation...... of that reform by focusing on how it is interpreted locally and put into practice by the headmasters of two different schools. On the basis of that analysis the article discusses the consequences that different ways of interpreting and managing the reform might have for the students — how do they understand......, recognize and execute the new pedagogical discourses and constructions of students that the headmasters are launching? The theoretical and methodological approach of the article is based on Basil Bernstein's sociology of education. Empirically the article draws on qualitative interviews with the headmasters...

Barium appendicitis (BA) is a rarely seen entity with fewer than 30 reports in the literature. However, it is a known complication of barium imaging. To report a case of BA in a patient whose computed tomography (CT) scan was initially read as foreign body ingestion. An 18-year-old man presented with right lower quadrant pain after upper gastrointestinal imaging 2 weeks prior. A CT scan was obtained of his abdomen and pelvis that revealed a finding that was interpreted as a foreign body at the area of the terminal ileum. A plain X-ray study of the abdomen revealed radiopaque appendicoliths. Pathology confirmed the diagnosis of barium appendicitis. BA is a rare entity and the pathogenesis is unclear. Shorter intervals between barium study and presentation with appendicitis usually correlate with fewer complications. Copyright (c) 2010 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

One of the challenges facing prosthetic designers and engineers is to restore the missing sensory function inherit to hand amputation. Several different techniques can be employed to provide amputees with sensory feedback: sensory substitution methods where the recorded stimulus is not only transferred to the amputee, but also translated to a different modality (modality-matched feedback), which transfers the stimulus without translation and direct neural stimulation, which interacts directly with peripheral afferent nerves. This paper presents an overview of the principal works and devices employed to provide upper limb amputees with sensory feedback. The focus is on sensory substitution and modality matched feedback; the principal features, advantages and disadvantages of the different methods are presented.

The equations describing the interaction of an upper-hybrid pump wave with small low-frequency density perturbations are discussed under assumption that the pump is spatially nonuniform. The conditions for the modulational instability are investigated. Instead of a dispersion relation, describing the growth of perturbations in the case of an uniform pump, in our case of nonuniform pump a differential equation is obtained and from its eigenvalues are found the instability criteria. Taking into account the slow-frequency self-interaction terms some localized solutions similar to dipole vortices are found, but described by analytic functions in all space. It is shown that their characteristic size and speed are determined by the pump intensity and its spatial structure. (au)

in combination with other hemostatic modalities at the endoscopists' discretion. RESULTS: Sixty-three patients (44 men, 19 women), median age 69 (range, 21 to 98) years with NVUGIB requiring endoscopic hemostasis were treated with TC-325. There were 30 patients with bleeding ulcers and 33 with other NVUGIB......BACKGROUND: Hemospray TM (TC-325) is a novel hemostatic agent licensed for use in nonvariceal upper gastrointestinal bleeding (NVUGIB) in Europe. GOALS: We present the operating characteristics and performance of TC-325 in the largest registry to date of patients presenting with NVUGIB in everyday...... pathology. Fifty-five (87%) were treated with TC-325 as monotherapy; 47 [85%; 95% confidence interval (CI), 76%-94%] of them achieved primary hemostasis, and rebleeding rate at 7 days was 15% (95% CI, 5%-25%). Primary hemostasis rate for TC-325 in patients with ulcer bleeds was 76% (95% CI, 59%-93%). Eight...

Full Text Available Vascular anomalies of the upper extremity are a surgical challenge to the hand surgeons. The treatment modality varies with respect to the presentation, extent of the lesion, progression and their complications. Based on our experience in treating patients with vascular malformations, a protocol has been formulated for their management, which we have found to be very useful and successful. With the use of the tumescent technique and good planning, haemangiomas are best excised in infancy or early childhood. Investigations like contrast computed tomography and magnetic resonance imaging have been found to be a useful tool in the diagnosis and planning of surgery for venous malformations. Embolisation seems to be a safe option in arteriovenous malformations.

AIMS: Recently, an apparent protective effect of statins against upper gastrointestinal bleeding (UGB) was postulated in a post hoc analysis of a randomized trial. We aimed to evaluate the effect of statin use on acute nonvariceal UGB alone or in combinations with low-dose aspirin and other...... antithrombotic drugs. METHODS: A population-based case-control study was conducted in the County of Funen, Denmark. Cases (n = 3652) were all subjects with a first discharge diagnosis of serious UGB from a hospital during the period 1995 to 2006. Age- and gender-matched controls (10 for each case) (n = 36 502...... significant protective effect was observed for concurrent users of low-dose aspirin [OR 0.43 (0.18-1.05)]. CONCLUSION: Statins do not prevent UGB, except possibly in users of low-dose aspirin....

The Upper Colorado River Basin (UCRB) Climate Effects Network (CEN) is a science team established to provide information to assist land managers in future decision making processes by providing a better understanding of how future climate change, land use, invasive species, altered fire cycles, human systems, and the interactions among these factors will affect ecosystems and the services they provide to human communities. The goals of this group are to (1) identify science needs and provide tools to assist land managers in addressing these needs, (2) provide a Web site where users can access information pertinent to this region, and (3) provide managers technical assistance when needed. Answers to the team's working science questions are intended to address how interactions among climate change, land use, and management practices may affect key aspects of water availability, ecosystem changes, and societal needs within the UCRB.

Aim: To compare the effect of two strategies for management of dyspepsia. Evaluation based on GP's assessment after two weeks and patients assessment after three months. Design: Prospective randomised controlled trial in general practice Methods: 357 patients with dyspepsia where the general...... practitioner (GP) finds indication for treatment with antisecretory therapy and/or diagnostic Helicobacter Pylori test were included in general practice between June 2000 and June 2002. Patients the GP want to refer to endoscopy were not included. Dyspepsia definition: persistent or recurrent pain...... or discomfort centred in the upper abdomen with or without nausea, vomiting, heartburn, acid regurgitation, early satiety or bloating. Patients were initially treated according to one of two management strategies. The patient was the unit of randomisation. Strategy 1: Proton pump inhibitor (40 mg omeprazol...

In the manipulation of radioactive materials in Nuclear Medicine service the body parts of workers that are more displayed to the ionizing radiation are hands, underarm and arm. Therefore is necessary to developing personal dosimeters to monitoring of easy reproduction and low cost with purpose to determine the doses level radiation received by the worker in these extremities. However thermoluminescent dosimeters do not provide an instantaneous exposure reading, they are suitable for personal dosimetry because of their following advantages: wide useful dose range, small physical size and no need for high voltage or cables, i.e. stand alone character. The aim of this work is to investigation of a new pulse monitor, that has been developing with thermoluminescent detectors of CaSO 4 :Dy (TLD) using a small plate of acrylic, perforated cardboard to deposit the TLD. This set was involved in plastic to protect from humidity and other harmful ambient factors; moreover, a bracelet was inserted, adaptable for any worker. During the preparation of the personal dosimeters to monitor exposure it was necessary to verify their effectiveness to use by workers in a nuclear medicine service. The monitors have been submitted to procedures of performance evaluations by several tests: badges homogeneity, reproducibility, linearity, low detection limit, auto-irradiation, dosimeters stability, verification of the residual T.L. signal, visible light effect on dosimeters, energetic and angular dependence and TLD answer by influence of a simulator during radiation. Was possible to verify the efficiency of such upper extremities dosimeters and were obtained satisfactory results within of the limits demanded in the described tests above to this type of personal dosimeters. (authors)

This study is focused on the poorly understood large-scale upper thermospheric wind dynamics in the southern polar cap, auroral, and mid latitudes. The gaps in our understanding of the dynamic high-latitude thermosphere are largely due to the sparseness of thermospheric wind measurements. Using data from current observational facilities, it is unfeasible to construct a synoptic picture of the Southern Hemisphere upper thermospheric winds. However, enough data with wide spatial and temporal coverage have accumulated to construct a meaningful statistical analysis of winds as function of season, magnetic latitude, and magnetic local time. We use long-term data from nine ground-based stations located at different southern high latitudes and three space-based instruments. These diverse data sets possess different geometries and different spatial and solar coverage. The major challenge of the effort is to combine these disparate sources of data into a coherent picture while overcoming the sampling limitations and biases among the datasets. Our preliminary analyses show mutual biases present among some of them. We first address the biases among various data sets and then combine them in a coherent way to construct maps of neutral winds for various seasons. We then validate the fitted climatology against the observational data and compare with corresponding fits of 25 years of simulated winds from the National Center for Atmospheric Research Thermosphere-Ionosphere-Electrodynamics General Circulation Model. This study provides critical insight into magnetosphere-ionosphere-thermosphere coupling and sets a necessary benchmark for validating new observations and tuning first-principles models.

NASA Lewis Research Center is participating in the Integrated Solar Upper Stage (ISUS) program. This program is a ground-based demonstration of an upper stage concept that will be used to generate both solar propulsion and solar power. Solar energy collected by a primary concentrator is directed into the aperture of a secondary concentrator and further concentrated into the aperture of a heat receiver. The energy stored in the receiver-absorber-converter is used to heat hydrogen gas to provide propulsion during the orbital transfer portion of the mission. During the balance of the mission, electric power is generated by thermionic diodes. Several materials issues were addressed as part of the technical support portion of the ISUS program, including: 1) Evaluation of primary concentrator coupons; 2) Evaluation of secondary concentrator coupons; 3) Evaluation of receiver-absorber-converter coupons; 4) Evaluation of in-test witness coupons. Two different types of primary concentrator coupons were evaluated from two different contractors-replicated coupons made from graphite-epoxy composite and coupons made from microsheet glass. Specular reflectivity measurements identified the replicated graphite-epoxy composite coupons as the primary concentrator material of choice. Several different secondary concentrator materials were evaluated, including a variety of silver and rhodium reflectors. The specular reflectivity of these materials was evaluated under vacuum at temperatures up to 800 C. The optical properties of several coupons of rhenium on graphite were evaluated to predict the thermal performance of the receiver-absorber-converter. Finally, during the ground test demonstration, witness coupons placed in strategic locations throughout the thermal vacuum facility were evaluated for contaminants. All testing for the ISUS program was completed successfully in 1997. Investigations related to materials issues have proven helpful in understanding the operation of the test

We intend to describe and analyze the spectrum of upper extremity injuries that arises from both accidental and intentional machete injuries with a focus on associated complications and comorbidities. This review is the first from a United States institution, and the only from a designated level 1 trauma center. A retrospective review of machete related upper extremity injuries admitted to a level 1 trauma center from 2008 to 2016. The following data was collected on admitted patients: demographics, mechanism of injury, surgical management, and complications. We assessed the data with Pearson Chi square analysis. This cohort consisted of 48 patients (mean = 42 ± 13 years old); the majority were men (96%) involved in an assault (81%). These patients had a high rate of documented psychiatric history, substance and tobacco abuse, and being underinsured. Patient follow-up was extremely variable: 75% of patients presented for follow-up care (mean = 149 ± 344 days; range 8-1846 days). 44% had complications (i.e., infection, tendon rupture, nerve palsy). We identified no associations when examining follow-up rates or complication rates regarding patient comorbidities, insurance status, mechanism of injury, or the need for a nerve, artery, or tendon repair. Patients with current tobacco use did have an increased risk for infection. The majority (52%) of injuries occurred on the ulnar side of the forearm and to the non-dominant extremity (66%). Patients assaulted by machetes are significantly more likely to have a history of psychiatric illness, substance abuse, tobacco use, and are more likely to be underinsured compared to those with accidental machete injuries. While machete injuries may be uncommon in most areas of the United States, physicians should give special attention to the patient comorbidities as many of these patients have complex medical and social issues which could complicate attempts of appropriate treatment. IV; Prognostic Study.

Purpose: This study assesses the late renal function and complications following upper abdominal irradiation. Methods and Materials: Eighty-six adult patients were identified who were treated with curative intent to the upper abdomen, received greater than 50% unilateral kidney irradiation to doses of at least 26 Gy, and survived for 1 year or more. Following treatment, the clinical course, blood pressure, addition of anti-hypertensive medications, serum creatinine and creatinine clearance were determined. Creatinine clearance was calculated by the formula: creatinine clearance equals [(140 - age) x (weight in kilograms)] / (72 x serum creatinine), which has a close correlation to creatinine clearances measured by 24 hour urine measurement. The percent change in creatinine clearance from pre-treatment values was analyzed. Mean follow-up was 6.7 years. Seventeen patients were followed for 11 or more years. Results: Of the 16 patients with pre-radiotherapy hypertension, eight required an increase in the number of medications for control and eight required no change in medication. Twenty-one patients developed hypertension in follow-up, 15 of whom required no medication. One patient developed malignant hypertension on the basis of renal artery stenosis. Acute or chronic renal failure was not observed in any patient. The serum creatinine for all 86 patients prior to irradiation was below 2 mg/100 ml; in follow-up it rose to between 2-3 mg/100 ml in five patients. On univariate analysis, older patient age, female sex, pre-existing hypertension and initially abnormal renal function (creatinine clearance <90mg/ml) were significantly correlated with later poor creatinine clearance (<50 mg/ml). Conclusions: After significant unilateral kidney irradiation, patients demonstrated a laboratory trend to increased creatinine and decreased creatinine clearance. With long-term follow-up, these physiologic changes did not appear to translate into a clinically relevant alteration in

The test procedures used to evaluate the suitability of landfilled materials of varying stability and to determine the leachate from such materials are reviewed. A process for stabilizing a mixture of sulfur dioxide sludge, fly ash, and bottom ash with lime and other additives for deposition in landfills is detailed. (BT)

Full Text Available The present paper reviews activates relevant to the boiling water reactor (BWR stability phenomenon, which has a coupled neutronic and thermal-hydraulic nature, from the viewpoint of model and code developments and their applications to the BWR stability solution methodology in Japan.

Underactuated vehicles are vehicles with fewer independent control actuators than degrees of freedom to be controlled. Such vehicles may be used in inspection of sub-sea cables, inspection and maintenance of offshore oil drilling platforms, and similar. This doctoral thesis discusses feedback stabilization of underactuated vehicles. The main objective has been to further develop methods from stabilization of nonholonomic systems to arrive at methods that are applicable to underactuated vehicles. A nonlinear model including both dynamics and kinematics is used to describe the vehicles, which may be surface vessels, spacecraft or autonomous underwater vehicles (AUVs). It is shown that for a certain class of underactuated vehicles the stabilization problem is not solvable by linear control theory. A new stability result for a class of homogeneous time-varying systems is derived and shown to be an important tool for developing continuous periodic time-varying feedback laws that stabilize underactuated vehicles without involving cancellation of dynamics. For position and orientation control of a surface vessel without side thruster a new continuous periodic feedback law is proposed that does not cancel any dynamics, and that exponentially stabilizes the origin of the underactuated surface vessel. A further issue considered is the stabilization of the attitude of an AUV. Finally, the thesis discusses stabilization of both position and attitude of an underactuated AUV. 55 refs., 28 figs.

Organic photovoltaics (OPVs) evolve in an exponential manner in the two key areas of efficiency and stability. The power conversion efficiency (PCE) has in the last decade been increased by almost a factor of ten approaching 10%. A main concern has been the stability that was previously measured ...

In this paper, we investigate the robust stability of uncertain fuzzy Markovian jumping Cohen-Grossberg BAM neural networks with discrete and distributed time-varying delays. A new delay-dependent stability condition is derived under uncertain switching probabilities by Takagi-Sugeno fuzzy model. Based on the linear matrix inequality (LMI) technique, upper bounds for the discrete and distributed delays are calculated using the LMI toolbox in MATLAB. Numerical examples are provided to illustrate the effectiveness of the proposed method.

This plan presents the overall objectives, description, justification and planning for the Plutonium Finishing Plant (PFP) Solutions Stabilization subproject. The intent of this plan is to describe how this project will be managed and integrated with other facility stabilization and deactivation activities. This plan supplements the overall integrated plan presented in the Integrated Project Management Plan (IPMP) for the Plutonium Finishing Plant Stabilization and Deactivation Project, HNF-3617. This project plan is the top-level definitive project management document for the PFP Solution Stabilization subproject. It specifies the technical, schedule, requirements and the cost baselines to manage the execution of the Solution Stabilization subproject. Any deviations to the document must be authorized through the appropriate change control process.

This plan presents the overall objectives, description, justification and planning for the Plutonium Finishing Plant (PFP) Solutions Stabilization subproject. The intent of this plan is to describe how this project will be managed and integrated with other facility stabilization and deactivation activities. This plan supplements the overall integrated plan presented in the Integrated Project Management Plan (IPMP) for the Plutonium Finishing Plant Stabilization and Deactivation Project, HNF-3617. This project plan is the top-level definitive project management document for the PFP Solution Stabilization subproject. It specifies the technical, schedule, requirements and the cost baselines to manage the execution of the Solution Stabilization subproject. Any deviations to the document must be authorized through the appropriate change control process

The stability of photon trajectories in models of the universe that have constant spatial curvature is determined by the sign of the curvature: they are exponentially unstable if the curvature is negative and stable if it is positive or zero. We demonstrate that random fluctuations in the curvature provide an additional stabilizing mechanism. This mechanism is analogous to the one responsible for stabilizing the stochastic Kapitsa pendulum. When the mean curvature is negative it is capable of stabilizing the photon trajectories; when the mean curvature is zero or positive it determines the characteristic frequency with which neighbouring trajectories oscillate about each other. In constant negative curvature models of the universe that have compact topology, exponential instability implies chaos (e.g. mixing) in the photon dynamics. We discuss some consequences of stochastic stabilization in this context. (letter to the editor)

Full Text Available Thermal nanofluids, the engineered fluids with dispersed functional nanoparticles, have exhibited extraordinary thermophysical properties and added functionalities, and thus have enabled a broad range of important applications. The poor dispersion stability of thermal nanofluids, however, has been considered as a long-existing issue that limits their further development and practical application. This review overviews the recent efforts and progresses in improving the dispersion stability of thermal nanofluids such as mechanistic understanding of dispersion behavior of nanofluids, examples of both water-based and oil-based nanofluids, strategies to stabilize nanofluids, and characterization techniques for dispersion behavior of nanofluids. Finally, on-going research needs, and possible solutions to research challenges and future research directions in exploring stably dispersed thermal nanofluids are discussed. Keywords: Thermal nanofluids, Dispersion, Aggregation, Electrostatic stabilization, Steric stabilization

Recent stability results of external kink modes and vertical modes in compact stellarators are presented. The vertical mode is found to be stabilized by externally generated poloidal flux. A simple stability criterion is derived in the limit of large aspect ratio and constant current density. For a wall at infinite distance from the plasma, the amount of external flux needed for stabilization is given by Fi = (k2 minus k)=(k2 + 1), where k is the axisymmetric elongation and Fi is the fraction of the external rotational transform. A systematic parameter study shows that the external kink mode in QAS can be stabilized at high beta (approximately 5%) without a conducting wall by magnetic shear via 3D shaping. It is found that external kinks are driven by both parallel current and pressure gradient. The pressure contributes significantly to the overall drive through the curvature term and the Pfirsch-Schluter current

Proteins rely on flexibility to respond to environmental changes, ligand binding and chemical modifications. Potentially, a perturbation that changes the flexibility of a protein may interfere with its function. Millions of mutations have been performed on thousands of proteins in quests...... for a delineation of the molecular details of their function. Several of these mutations interfered with the binding of a specific ligand with a concomitant effect on the stability of the protein scaffold. It has been ambiguous and not straightforward to recognize if any relationships exist between the stability...... of a protein and the affinity for its ligand. In this review, we present examples of proteins where changes in stability results in changes in affinity and of proteins where stability and affinity are uncorrelated. We discuss the possibility for a relationship between stability and binding. From the data...

This paper discusses the device itself, the mechanism by which it functions and compares this mechanism with more common devices such as the mechanical roof bolt and the resin rebar system. A Friction Rock Stabilizer can be pictured as a split pipe, set into the geologic mass to be reinforced; thus, the trade name ''Split Set.'' The configuration is shown. Friction Rock Stabilizers are 1-1/2'' outside diameter as manufactured and normally are put into 1-3/8'' diameter boreholes in rock. Depending on the smoothness, diameter throughout its length, straightness of the hole and frictional coefficient, and anchorage of 4/4 to 1-1/2 tons is obtained per foot of borehole contact upon installation. The device can be easily installed with any common air percussion impact drill. The steel used in the fixture is a high formability steel with approximately a 70,000 psi yield. Wall thickness is near 0.090 inch. The stabilizer is tapered on the upper end for insertion into the borehole and on the other end a ring is welded to the unit as a retainer for the roof plate. Upon installation it provides a yieldable support and, with time, becomes more rigidly anchored in the rock to provide the restraint necessary for long term stability. It is a full contact system which preloads the rock in compression to increase stability. The yieldable aspects of Friction Rock Stabilizers without loss of restraint against the rock cannot be overemphasized. Also, the preload of the rock by the device during and after installation is very important. The preload acts in a plane perpendicular to the axis of the device and also along the axis as it is driven in. This combined effect produces a zone of triaxial compression around the device and, when coupled with the pressure bulb which is present in the rock form the plate, we end up with a unique pear-shaped compression zone around each device

Document available in extended abstract form only. Several repository concepts for spent nuclear fuel comprise a bentonite buffer which encloses the fuel containers. The function of this bentonite buffer is critically dependent on the properties of the swelling mineral in the bentonite, which typically is montmorillonite in commercial high quality bentonites. The physical and chemical properties of the montmorillonite in bentonites have consequently been studied in various types of analyses in several countries, and the results have been the basis for the design of the bentonite buffer with respect to size, degree of compaction etc (SKB TR-10-47). Significant changes in the montmorillonite structure with time may change the properties of the bentonite buffer and jeopardize the isolating function. In nature, illite is the most common alteration product from montmorillonite, and a 50% alteration reduces, for instance, the swelling pressure by one order of magnitude. Fortunately, the process is very slow at typical repository temperatures, and also in the perspective of repository life-time no significant alteration is expected according to the available kinetic models. The models are, however, based on laboratory batch experiments performed at temperatures, which by necessity are much higher than what is planned for in a repository. Alternatively, the models are based on natural montmorillonite-to-illite alteration in e.g. deep sediments. In both cases there are divergences from repository conditions which limit the arguments for the bentonite buffer stability. The mechanism by which the montmorillonite-to-illite reaction takes place is not fully understood, but the overall process may be represented by the following schematic reaction: Na + montmorillonite + K + + Al 3+ → illite + SiO 2 + Na + . Aluminum may be supplied from the bentonite itself, but potassium has to be transported to the buffer from an external source in order to give a significant alteration in

To report the pattern of uveitis in two referral eye hospitals, one in Upper Egypt and another in Lower Egypt Methods: Retrospective chart review of all uveitis cases visiting the uveitis clinic in Alexandria and Sohag University Hospitals between May 2010 and March 2017. A total of 1315 patients (683 in Upper Egypt and 632 in Lower Egypt) were identified. Uveitis was bilateral in 56.6% of patients in Upper Egypt and in 43.6% of patients in Lower Egypt. Anterior uveitis was the most common in both regions, accounting for 34.7% and 38.2% of cases in Upper Egypt and Lower Egypt respectively. Pediatric cases constituted 18.7% of the cases in Upper Egypt and 18.1% of the cases in Lower Egypt. Specific diagnosis was established in 71.3% and 67.7% of Upper and Lower Egypt cases respectively. Patterns of uveitis differ according to the geographical area in Egypt.

The clinical observation describes the case of a 20-year-old woman who has consulted for aesthetic and functional reasons. She presents a skeletal class III normodivergent, an occlusal class III with a lower proalveoli quite marked. In addition, a lingual dysfunction which manifests itself by important anterior diastema and dento-dental disharmony at the upper jaw complicates the case. The undertaken therapeutic project starts with a first step of a lingual praxis rehabilitation, followed by an orthodontic step and upper lateral incisors-plasty. The purpose of those results is the evaluation of the stability two years later, which was reported positive.

This paper concerns stability and stabilization issues for switched neutral systems and presents new classes of piecewise Lyapunov functionals and multiple Lyapunov functionals, based on which, two new switching rules are introduced to stabilize the neutral systems. One switching rule is designed from the solution of the so-called Lyapunov-Metzler linear matrix inequalities. The other is based on the determination of average dwell time computed from a new class of linear matrix inequalities (LMIs). And then, state-feedback control is derived for the switched neutral control system mainly based on the state switching rules. Finally, three examples are given to demonstrate the effectiveness of the proposed method.

The human brain, power grids, arrays of coupled lasers and the Amazon rainforest are all characterized by multistability. The likelihood that these systems will remain in the most desirable of their many stable states depends on their stability against significant perturbations, particularly in a state space populated by undesirable states. Here we claim that the traditional linearization-based approach to stability is in several cases too local to adequately assess how stable a state is. Instead, we quantify it in terms of basin stability, a new measure related to the volume of the basin of attraction. Basin stability is non-local, nonlinear and easily applicable, even to high-dimensional systems. It provides a long-sought-after explanation for the surprisingly regular topologies of neural networks and power grids, which have eluded theoretical description based solely on linear stability. Specifically, we employ a component-wise version of basin stability, a nonlinear inspection scheme, to investigate how a grid's degree of stability is influenced by certain patterns in the wiring topology. Various statistics from our ensemble simulations all support one main finding: The widespread and cheapest of all connection schemes, namely dead ends and dead trees, strongly diminish stability. For the Northern European power system we demonstrate that the inverse is also true: `Healing' dead ends by addition of transmission lines substantially enhances stability. This indicates a crucial smart-design principle for tomorrow's sustainable power grids: add just a few more lines to avoid dead ends. Further, we analyse the particular function of certain network motifs to promote the stability of the system. Here we uncover the impact of so-called detour motifs on the appearance of nodes with a poor stability score and discuss the implications for power grid design. Moreover, it will be shown that basin stability enables uncovering the mechanism for explosive synchronization and

The main purpose of this article is to develop a mathematical model of human body during harvesting via Kane's method. In this paper, a 2-D closed-kinematic biomechanical model that represents a harvesting movement is developed. The model of six segments consisted of upper right arm, right forearm, harvesting equipment, left forearm, upper left arm, and upper part of trunk. Finally, the inverse dynamic equations are represented in matrix form.

Total upper and lower eyelid unilateral full thickness reconstruction is a surgical challenge. A case of right orbital haemangioma with unilateral complete defect of total upper and lower eyelids with right orbital exenteration is reported, together with the surgical technique of reconstruction. Patient was a 24-year-old female who underwent right orbital exenteration with total upper and lower eyelid excision for orbital haemangioma presented after 3 weeks of the above procedure. In the firs...

Full Text Available Background: The international experience of top managers is an evolving research within the upper echelon theory; therefore this literature review summarizes everything made so far.

Upper gastrointestinal (GI) bleeding can be fatal. Blood test variables were reviewed in search of threshold values to detect the presence of occult upper GI bleeding. The records of 1,023 patients who underwent endoscopy at the National Hospital Organization Shimoshizu Hospital from October 2014, to September 2015, were retrospectively reviewed. Of those, 95 had upper GI bleeding. One-way analysis of variance was applied to blood test variables comparing patients with and without upper GI bleeding. Logistic regression analysis was applied to detect the association of blood test parameters with upper GI bleeding, and receiver-operator characteristics were applied to establish threshold values. White blood cell count (WBC), platelet (Plt) count, and blood urea nitrogen (BUN) levels were higher, and hemoglobin (Hb) and albumin (Alb) levels were lower in patients with upper GI bleeding. Logistic regression analysis showed that low Hb was significantly associated with upper GI bleeding and a Hb value of 10.8 g/dl was established as the threshold for the diagnosis. In patients with upper GI bleeding, WBC, Plt count, and BUN levels were higher and Hb and Alb levels were reduced. Hb at 10.8 g/dl was established as a threshold value to detect upper GI bleeding.

We present a fully analytical approach to the study of the confinement and stability of open-quote open-quote Crystalline Beams close-quote close-quote in storage rings, in terms of such fundamental accelerator concepts as tune shift and stopband. We consider a open-quote open-quote Crystalline Beam close-quote close-quote consisting of substrings, arranged symmetrically around the reference trajectory, and we examine the motion of a slightly perturbed test particle on one of them. Our approach quite naturally leads to the conclusion, that (a) storage rings need to be operated below the transition energy, and (b) the open-quote open-quote Crystalline Beam close-quote close-quote has the same periodicity as the storage ring. Each open-quote open-quote Crystalline Beam close-quote close-quote has an upper and lower limit of the spacing between the ions. The upper limit is determined by condition (b), and the lower limit is set by the stability of the test particle motion around the equilibrium. copyright 1995 American Institute of Physics

We update instability and metastability bounds of the Standard Model electroweak vacuum in view of the recent ATLAS and CMS Higgs results. For a Higgs mass in the range 124-126 GeV, and for the current central values of the top mass and strong coupling constant, the Higgs potential develops an instability around 10{sup 11} GeV, with a lifetime much longer than the age of the Universe. However, taking into account theoretical and experimental errors, stability up to the Planck scale cannot be excluded. Stability at finite temperature implies an upper bound on the reheat temperature after inflation, which depends critically on the precise values of the Higgs and top masses. A Higgs mass in the range 124-126 GeV is compatible with very high values of the reheating temperature, without conflict with mechanisms of baryogenesis such as leptogenesis. We derive an upper bound on the mass of heavy right-handed neutrinos by requiring that their Yukawa couplings do not destabilize the Higgs potential.

The upper layer of the soil is the critical interface between the soil and the atmosphere and is the most dynamic in response to management practices. One of the soil properties most reflective to changes in management is the stability of the aggregates because this property controls infiltration of water and exchange of gases. An aggregation model has been developed based on the factors that control how aggregates form and the forces which degrade aggregates. One of the major factors for this model is the storage of carbon into the soil and the interaction with the soil biological component. To increase soil biology requires a stable microclimate that provides food, water, shelter, and oxygen which in turn facilitates the incorporation of organic material into forms that can be combined with soil particles to create stable aggregates. The processes that increase aggregate size and stability are directly linked the continual functioning of the biological component which in turn changes the physical and chemical properties of the soil. Soil aggregates begin to degrade as soon as there is no longer a supply of organic material into the soil. These processes can range from removal of organic material and excessive tillage. To increase aggregation of the upper soil layer requires a continual supply of organic material and the biological activity that incorporates organic material into substances that create a stable aggregate. Soils that exhibit stable soil aggregates at the surface have a prolonged infiltration rate with less runoff and a gas exchange that ensures adequate oxygen for maximum biological activity. Quantifying the dynamics of the soil surface layer provides a quantitative understanding of how management practices affect aggregate stability.

Extensive information is provided on techniques that can reduce or eliminate the negative impact of man's activities (particularly those related to navigation) on large river systems, with special reference to the Upper Mississippi River. These techniques should help resource managers who are concerned with such river systems to establish sound environmental programs. Discussion of each technique or group of techniques include (1) situation to be mitigated or enhanced; (2) description of technique; (3) impacts on the environment; (4) costs; and (5) evaluation for use on the Upper Mississippi River Systems. The techniques are divided into four primary categories: Bank Stabilization Techniques, Dredging and Disposal of Dredged Material, Fishery Management Techniques, and Wildlife Management Techniques. Because techniques have been grouped by function, rather than by structure, some structures are discussed in several contexts. For example, gabions are discussed for use in revetments, river training structures, and breakwaters. The measures covered under Bank Stabilization Techniques include the use of riprap revetments, other revetments, bulkheads, river training structures, breakwater structures, chemical soil stabilizers, erosion-control mattings, and filter fabrics; the planting of vegetation; the creation of islands; the creation of berms or enrichment of beaches; and the control of water level and boat traffic. The discussions of Dredging and the Disposal of Dredged Material consider dredges, dredging methods, and disposal of dredged material. The following subjects are considered under Fishery Management Techniques: fish attractors; spawning structures; nursery ponds, coves, and marshes; fish screens and barriers; fish passage; water control structures; management of water levels and flows; wing dam modification; side channel modification; aeration techniques; control of nuisance aquatic plants; and manipulated of fish populations. Wildlife Management

The LHC is putting bounds on the Higgs boson mass. In this Letter we use those bounds to constrain the minimal supersymmetric standard model (MSSM) parameter space using the fact that, in supersymmetry, the Higgs mass is a function of the masses of sparticles, and therefore an upper bound on the Higgs mass translates into an upper bound for the masses for superpartners. We show that, although current bounds do not constrain the MSSM parameter space from above, once the Higgs mass bound improves big regions of this parameter space will be excluded, putting upper bounds on supersymmetry (SUSY) masses. On the other hand, for the case of split-SUSY we show that, for moderate or large tanβ, the present bounds on the Higgs mass imply that the common mass for scalars cannot be greater than 10(11) GeV. We show how these bounds will evolve as LHC continues to improve the limits on the Higgs mass.

Electrostatically stabilized sols of silver, silver iodide, α-goethite, and copper phthalocyanine in methanol, ethanol, isopropanol, and acetone have been prepared and characterized. Coagulation concentrations with electrolytes of various charge numbers have been determined in water, in organic

Full Text Available The number of available algorithms to infer a biological network from a dataset of high-throughput measurements is overwhelming and keeps growing. However, evaluating their performance is unfeasible unless a 'gold standard' is available to measure how close the reconstructed network is to the ground truth. One measure of this is the stability of these predictions to data resampling approaches. We introduce NetSI, a family of Network Stability Indicators, to assess quantitatively the stability of a reconstructed network in terms of inference variability due to data subsampling. In order to evaluate network stability, the main NetSI methods use a global/local network metric in combination with a resampling (bootstrap or cross-validation procedure. In addition, we provide two normalized variability scores over data resampling to measure edge weight stability and node degree stability, and then introduce a stability ranking for edges and nodes. A complete implementation of the NetSI indicators, including the Hamming-Ipsen-Mikhailov (HIM network distance adopted in this paper is available with the R package nettools. We demonstrate the use of the NetSI family by measuring network stability on four datasets against alternative network reconstruction methods. First, the effect of sample size on stability of inferred networks is studied in a gold standard framework on yeast-like data from the Gene Net Weaver simulator. We also consider the impact of varying modularity on a set of structurally different networks (50 nodes, from 2 to 10 modules, and then of complex feature covariance structure, showing the different behaviours of standard reconstruction methods based on Pearson correlation, Maximum Information Coefficient (MIC and False Discovery Rate (FDR strategy. Finally, we demonstrate a strong combined effect of different reconstruction methods and phenotype subgroups on a hepatocellular carcinoma miRNA microarray dataset (240 subjects, and we

The 'in vitro' stability studies of the radiopharmaceutical preparations are an essential requirement for routine practice in nuclear medicine and are an important parameter for evaluating the quality, safety and efficacy required for the sanitary registration of pharmaceutical products. Several countries have published guidelines for the evaluation of pharmaceutical stability. In Brazil, the stability studies should be conducted according to the Guide for Conducting Stability Studies published in the Resolution-RE n. 1, of 29th July 2005. There are also for radiopharmaceutical products, two specific resolutions: RDC-63 regulates the Good Manufacturing Practices for Radiopharmaceuticals and RDC-64 provides the Registration of Radiopharmaceuticals, both published on the 18th December 2009. The radiopharmaceutical stability is defined as the time during which the radioisotope can be safely used for the intended purpose. The radiochemical stability can be affected by a variety of factors, including storage temperature, amount of radioactivity, radioactive concentration, presence or absence of antioxidants or other stabilizing agents. The radiochemical stability studies must be established under controlled conditions determined by the effective use of the product. The aim of this work was to evaluate the radiochemical stability of labeled molecules with 131 I, 123 I, 153 Sm, 18 F, 51 Cr, 177 Lu and 111 In as well as 67 Ga and 201 Tl radiopharmaceuticals. Radiochemical purity was evaluated after production and in the validity period, with the maximum activity and in the recommended storage conditions. The analyses were carried out by thin-layer silica gel plate, paper chromatography and gel chromatography. The experimental results showed to be in accordance with the specified limits for all the analysed products. (author)

Full Text Available Pedicle screw fixation in the upper cervical spine is a difficult and high-risk procedure. The screw is difficult to place rapidly and accurately, and can lead to serious injury of spinal cord or vertebral artery. The aim of this study was to design an individualized 3D printing navigation template for pedicle screw fixation in the upper cervical spine.Using CT thin slices data, we employed computer software to design the navigation template for pedicle screw fixation in the upper cervical spine (atlas and axis. The upper cervical spine models and navigation templates were produced by 3D printer with equal proportion, two sets for each case. In one set (Test group, pedicle screws fixation were guided by the navigation template; in the second set (Control group, the screws were fixed under fluoroscopy. According to the degree of pedicle cortex perforation and whether the screw needed to be refitted, the fixation effects were divided into 3 types: Type I, screw is fully located within the vertebral pedicle; Type II, degree of pedicle cortex perforation is 1 mm or with the poor internal fixation stability and in need of renovation. Type I and Type II were acceptable placements; Type III placements were unacceptable.A total of 19 upper cervical spine and 19 navigation templates were printed, and 37 pedicle screws were fixed in each group. Type I screw-placements in the test group totaled 32; Type II totaled 3; and Type III totaled 2; with an acceptable rate of 94.60%. Type I screw placements in the control group totaled 23; Type II totaled 3; and Type III totaled 11, with an acceptable rate of 70.27%. The acceptability rate in test group was higher than the rate in control group. The operation time and fluoroscopic frequency for each screw were decreased, compared with control group.The individualized 3D printing navigation template for pedicle screw fixation is easy and safe, with a high success rate in the upper cervical spine surgery.

When the fluid flow moves on the granular materials, the bed geometry, i.e., bedforms, change corresponding the flow conditions. Bedforms are the important source of information. From geological point of view, the bedforms migrate to generate the variety of sedimentary structures which can be used to reconstruct the paleo-hydraulic conditions. From the engineering point of view, bedforms have to be considered when the sediment transport and/or the bed roughness are discussed. Although there have been done numerous flume experiments both in the geology and engineering, most of the diagrams of bedform stability fields have been made using the silica materials and water, whose density ratio is about 2.65. Here we performed flume experiments for smaller density ratio, 1.5. This is aimed at examining the effect of density ratio on the bedform stability fields. Different density ratio can occur in the natural environments, such as under the hyperconcentrated flow, or on the surfaces of other planets. We performed flume experiments using the fragments of melamine resin, whose specific gravity is 1.5, and we used five kinds of size distributions. Small recirculating-flumes, 4 m in length, 0.3 or 0.4 m in depth and 0.08 m in width, in Kyoto University and Osaka Institute of Technology are used. The flume floor was laid with the material, and unidirectional flow was operated. The flow discharge was increased gradually, and bedform formation was observed. Flow discharge, flow depth, water-surface slope, and water temperature were measured. Based on these data, non-dimensional parameters, such as Mobility parameter, Particle parameter, and Froude number, were calculated and compared with those of quartz grains (Van den Berg and Van Gelder, 1993). As a result, we got bedform stability fields for the density ratio 1.5. Comparing with that of quartz grains, the following features were found. (1) The kinds of bedforms observed in these experiments were the same with those of

We have devised a new algorithm for upper-mantle surface-wave tomography based on adaptive parameterization: i.e. the size of each parameterization pixel depends on the local density of seismic data coverage. The advantage in using this kind of parameterization is that a high resolution can be achieved in regions with dense data coverage while a lower (and cheaper) resolution is kept in regions with low coverage. This way, parameterization is everywhere optimal, both in terms of its computational cost, and of model resolution. This is especially important for data sets with inhomogenous data coverage, as it is usually the case for global seismic databases. The data set we use has an especially good coverage around Switzerland and over central Europe. We focus on periods from 35s to 150s. The final goal of the project is to determine a new model of seismic velocities for the upper mantle underlying Europe and the Mediterranean Basin, of resolution higher than what is currently found in the literature. Our inversions involve regularization via norm and roughness minimization, and this in turn requires that discrete norm and roughness operators associated with our adaptive grid be precisely defined. The discretization of the roughness damping operator in the case of adaptive parameterizations is not as trivial as it is for the uniform ones; important complications arise from the significant lateral variations in the size of pixels. We chose to first define the roughness operator in a spherical harmonic framework, and subsequently translate it to discrete pixels via a linear transformation. Since the smallest pixels we allow in our parameterization have a size of 0.625 °, the spherical-harmonic roughness operator has to be defined up to harmonic degree 899, corresponding to 810.000 harmonic coefficients. This results in considerable computational costs: we conduct the harmonic-pixel transformations on a small Beowulf cluster. We validate our implementation of adaptive

MATLAB Stability and Control Toolbox (MASCOT) utilizes geometric, aerodynamic, and inertial inputs to calculate air vehicle stability in a variety of critical flight conditions. The code is based on fundamental, non-linear equations of motion and is able to translate results into a qualitative, graphical scale useful to the non-expert. MASCOT was created to provide the conceptual aircraft designer accurate predictions of air vehicle stability and control characteristics. The code takes as input mass property data in the form of an inertia tensor, aerodynamic loading data, and propulsion (i.e. thrust) loading data. Using fundamental nonlinear equations of motion, MASCOT then calculates vehicle trim and static stability data for the desired flight condition(s). Available flight conditions include six horizontal and six landing rotation conditions with varying options for engine out, crosswind, and sideslip, plus three take-off rotation conditions. Results are displayed through a unique graphical interface developed to provide the non-stability and control expert conceptual design engineer a qualitative scale indicating whether the vehicle has acceptable, marginal, or unacceptable static stability characteristics. If desired, the user can also examine the detailed, quantitative results.

Full Text Available BackgroundMany methods have been proposed for the correction of sunken upper eyelids. These methods include surgical treatments, such as micro-fat, dermofat, or fascia-fat grafts, or the use of alloplastic materials. Here, we present our experience of sunken upper eyelid correction involving the simple addition of anchoring the central fat pad to the medial fat pad during upper blepharoplasty.MethodsWe performed 74 cases of upper blepharoplasty with sunken upper eyelid correction between October 2013 and September 2014. The lateral portion of the central fat pad was partially dissected to facilitate anchoring. The medial fat pad was gently exposed and then pulled out to facilitate anchoring. After the rotation of the dissected lateral portion of the central fat pad by 180° to the medial side, it was anchored spreading to the medial fat pad. Photographs taken at 6 months postoperatively were presented to three physicians for objective assessment. Of the 74 patients, 54 patients followed at 6 months postoperatively were included in this retrospective, objective assessment.ResultsSunken eyelids were effectively corrected in 51 of the 54 patients, but 3 had minimal effect because preaponeurotic fat pads had been removed during previous upper blepharoplasty. In addition to correcting sunken eyelids, lateral bulging was corrected and a better definition of the lateral portion of upper lid creases was obtained.ConclusionsAnchoring the central fat pad to the medial fat pad provides an effective means of correcting sunken upper eyelids during upper blepharoplasty.

During the current report experimental studies of upper respiratory deposition of radon progeny aerosols and stimulant aerosols were carried out in replicate casts of nasal and oral passages of adults and children. Additionally, preliminary studies of nasal passage deposition of unattached Po{sup 218} particles was carried out in four human subjects. Data on nasal inspiratory deposition in replicate models of adults and infants from three collaborating laboratories were compared and a best-fit curve of deposition efficiency for both attached and unattached particles was obtained, showing excellent inter-laboratory agreement. This curve demonstrates that nasal inspiratory deposition of radon progeny is weakly dependent upon flow rate over physiologically realistic ranges of flow, does not show a significant age effect, and is relatively independent of nasal passage dimensions for a given age range. Improved replicate models of the human adult oral passage extending to the mid-trachea were constructed for medium and higher flow mouth breathing states; these models were used to assess the deposition of unattached Po{sup 218} particles during oronasal breathing in the oral passage and demonstrated lower deposition efficiency than the nasal passage. Measurements of both Po{sup 218} particle and attached fraction particle size deposition were performed in replicate nasal passage of a four week old infant. 5 refs., 1 fig.

During the current report experimental studies of upper respiratory deposition of radon progeny aerosols and stimulant aerosols were carried out in replicate casts of nasal and oral passages of adults and children. Additionally, preliminary studies of nasal passage deposition of unattached Po 218 particles was carried out in four human subjects. Data on nasal inspiratory deposition in replicate models of adults and infants from three collaborating laboratories were compared and a best-fit curve of deposition efficiency for both attached and unattached particles was obtained, showing excellent inter-laboratory agreement. This curve demonstrates that nasal inspiratory deposition of radon progeny is weakly dependent upon flow rate over physiologically realistic ranges of flow, does not show a significant age effect, and is relatively independent of nasal passage dimensions for a given age range. Improved replicate models of the human adult oral passage extending to the mid-trachea were constructed for medium and higher flow mouth breathing states; these models were used to assess the deposition of unattached Po 218 particles during oronasal breathing in the oral passage and demonstrated lower deposition efficiency than the nasal passage. Measurements of both Po 218 particle and attached fraction particle size deposition were performed in replicate nasal passage of a four week old infant. 5 refs., 1 fig

Laboratory experimental studies were carried out to investigate the factors influencing the deposition of aerosols ranging in size from 1 nm to 10 [mu]m in the human nasal, oral, pharyngeal and laryngeal airways. These experimental studies were performed in replicate upper airway physical models and in human volunteer subjects. New replicate models of the oral passage of an infant, the oral passage of an adult at two openings and the combined nasal and oral airways of an adult were constructed during the period, adding to the existing models of adult, child and infant nasal and oral airways models. Deposition studies in the adult oral and adult nasal models were performed under simulated cyclic flow conditions with 1 nm particles to compare with previously measured constant flow studies. Similar studies with inertial particles (1--10 [mu]m diameter) were performed with the adult nasal model; in both instances, results with cyclic flow were similar to constant flow results using a simple average flow rate based on inspiratory volume and time of inspiration. Human subject studies were performed with particle sizes 5--20 nm for nasal inspiration; preliminary analysis shows good agreement with model studies at several representative flow rates. Nasal inspiratory inertial deposition of 1--4 [mu]m diameter particles was measured in several adults as a function of airway dimensions; dimensional changes of the valve area by decongestion did not produce concomitant deposition changes.

A simple static equilibrium model of the Z-pinch is considered where a hot plasma core is surrounded by a cold-mantle (gas blanket). The pinch radius, defined as the radial extension of the fully ionized plasma core, is uniquely determined by the plasma particle. momentum and heat balance equations. In Extrap configurations an octupole field is introduced which imposes a magnetic separatrix on Z-pinch geometry. This makes the conditions for Extrap equilibrium 'overdetermined' when the characteristic pinch radium given by the plasma parameters tends to exceed the characteristic radius of the magnetic separatrix. In this case no conventional pinch equilibrium can exist, and part of the current which is forced into the plasma discharge by external sources must be channelled outside of the separatrix, i.e. into the surrounding support structure of the Extrap conductors and the vessel walls. A possibly existing bootstrap current in the plasma boundary layer is further expected to be 'scraped off' in this case. The present paper gives some illustrations of the marginal case of this upper pinch radius limit, in a state where the pinch current is antiparallel to the external rod currents which generate the octupole field. (authors)

Full Text Available This paper explores the policy issues circling around the structural "transition" in upper secondary education implicit in the twenty-year increase in secondary and third-level school enrollment rates in Taiwan. This expansion has taken place within a secondary school system which is rigidly divided into both general, i.e., academic, and vocational tracks and into public and private sectors: the majority of students are enrolled in the private vocational sector which is only loosely articulated with the university sector. These features of the school system are analysed against the background of social and economic developments in Taiwan as well as public opinion. The analysis suggests that the present structures of school must be "reformed" in ways that will result in a more unified secondary system with both greater public funding and better articulation of all school types with the third level. The policy options that circle around the possibility of such reforms in the areas of curriculum, examination structures and second level-third level articulation are discussed and a policy framework for the reform of the Taiwan secondary education sector is outlined.

Full Text Available Radiogrammetry is radiological method of bone mineral density quantification. Besides giving an insight in diagnostics and evolution of metabolic bone disorders (osteoporosis, osteomalacia, osteitis deformans- Paget's disease, it can also explain some specific biomechanical characteristics of bone structures. The aim of this study is to evaluate the significance and perspectives of radiogrammetry as a scientific model for further inquiry of skeletal system. The work demonstrates mathematical parameters (Ca-Cortical area, CI- Cortical index, GI- Garn's index, ESI- Exton Smith's index of upper limb long bones (humerus, radius, ulna. Two standard radiological projections of bones were taken: antero-posterior (AP and latero-lateral (LL. Correlation with metacarpal and lower limb bones was also performed. The value of the cortical area of humerus is significantly higher comparing with the two other examined bones (Xmean 2,2443 cm2, p < 0.01. Radial bone has the highest values of the relational mathematical parameters, which implicates its higher strength by volumetric unit concerning humerus and ulna. Despite the development of contemporary osteometric procedures (ultrasound densitometry, dual X-ray absorptiometry, digital X-ray radiogrammetry, the classical radiogrammetry sustains its important role in diagnostics of metabolic bone disorders and it can be successfully used for biomechanical inquiry of skeletal system.

To investigate the role of hand dominance in common upper extremity musculoskeletal disorders (UEMSD) in a population study. The target population consisted of a representative sample of people aged 30 years or older residing in Finland during 2000-2001. Of the 7977 eligible subjects, 6254 (78.4%) were included in the study. The prevalence of UEMSD was as follows: rotator cuff tendinitis 3.8%, bicipital tendinitis 0.5%, lateral epicondylitis 1.1%, medial epicondylitis 0.3%, carpal tunnel syndrome (CTS) 3.8%, and surgery due to CTS 1.3%. CTS was 2.5 times as prevalent in women as men, whereas the other UEMSD were as common in both sexes. Rotator cuff and bicipital tendinitis and medial epicondylitis were more prevalent in the dominant arm only in women, whereas lateral epicondylitis was more prevalent in the dominant elbow in both sexes. The higher prevalence of rotator cuff and bicipital tendinitis in the dominant side persisted beyond working age. The prevalence of CTS did not differ by hand dominance. Dominant hand had been operated more frequently for CTS in women. Our findings show that UEMSD are more prevalent in the dominant than nondominant arm mainly in women. For shoulder tendinitis, the difference persists throughout adult age. Physical load factors may have long-lasting effects on the shoulder and they may play a greater role in women than men.

Bicycling is a popular and convenient means of transportation amongst the elderly in the Netherlands. However, the uptake of the electric bicycle resulted in an increase of single-sided bicycle accidents amongst the elderly (Veiligheid, 2010). Since elderly are prone to severe injuries, bicycle stability is currently a popular research topic. Three main balance strategies have been proposed in former studies: steering as the primary balance strategy and trunk -and lateral knee movement as secondary balance strategies (Moore et al., 2011; Cain, 2013). Since steering is the primary strategy for bicycle stability, the stiffness of the arms plays an important role in active stability during cycling. It has been shown that the arm stiffness of a passive rider is an important factor on the stability of a bicycle (Doria and Tognazzo, 2014). In the study presented here, the co-contraction index (CCI) of the upper limb for young and old adult cyclist is studied. Data is collected during experiments based on the setup described in (Kiewiet et al., 2014), wherein contact forces, muscle activities and motions of the rider and bicycle are measured for 15 young adult (mean±sd: 25.3±2.8 yrs) and 15 old adult (mean±sd: 58.1±2.1 yrs) subjects during unperturbed and perturbed cycling. The arm stiffness is defined as a co-contraction ratio between muscle activity of the m. Biceps Brachii and m. Triceps Lateralis. Results suggest that older adult cyclists use more co-contraction of their arm muscles during cycling, compared to young cyclists. The inter-subject variability of the found CCI was higher for the old adult subject group, compared to the young group. The results support the initial hypothesis that the increase in co-contraction of the upper limb for older cyclists is higher during perturbed cycling compared to unperturbed cycling than for younger cyclists. The findings might give direction towards solutions for increasing the safety and stability for elderly cyclists

We study the stability of holonomic quantum computations with respect to errors in assignment of control parameters. The general expression for fidelity is obtained. In the small errors limit the simple formulae for the fidelity decrease rate is derived

This paper examines the stability of tearing modes in a sheared slab when the width of the tearing layer is much smaller than the ion Larmor radius. The ion response is nonlocal, and the quasineutrality retains its full integal form. An expansion procedure is introduced to solve the quasineutrality equation in powers of the width of the tearing layer over the ion Larmor radius. The expansion procedure is applied to the collisionless and semi-collisional tearing modes. The first order terms in the expansion we find to be strongly stabilizing. The physics of the mode and of the stabilization is discussed. Tearing modes are observed in experiments even though the slab theory predicts stability. It is proposed that these modes grow from an equilibrium with islands at the rational surfaces. If the equilibrium islands are wider than the ion Larmor radius, the mode is unstable when Δ' is positive

In face of costs pressures, there is need to allocate scare resources more effectively in order to achieve voltage stability. This naturally leads to development of probabilistic criteria and notions of rick management. In this paper it is presented a discussion about criteria for long term voltage stability limited to the case in which the time frames are topically several minutes. (author) 14 refs., 1 fig.

Developing economies are seeking to promote financial inclusion, i.e., greater access to financial services for low-income households and firms, as part of their overall strategies for economic and financial development. This raises the question of whether financial stability and financial inclusion are, broadly speaking, substitutes or complements. In other words, does the move toward greater financial inclusion tend to increase or decrease financial stability? A number of studies have sugge...

Stability in financial institutions and in financial markets are closely intertwined. Banks and other financial institutions need liquid markets through which to conduct risk management. And markets need the back-up liquidity lines provided by financial institutions. Market liquidity depends not only on objective, exogenous factors, but also on endogenous market dynamics. Central banks responsible for systemic stability need to consider how far their traditional responsibility for the health ...

A simulation study is performed for the purpose of determining the transient stability characteristics of superconducting alternators. This simulation is compared with an equal area criterion method. It is found that superconducting machines have good transient stability characteristics, that field forcing is not particularly helpful nor necessary. It is also found that the equal area criterion is useful for computing critical clearing times, if voltage behind subtransient reactance is held constant. (U.S.)

In recent years, there has been an upsurge of interest in enzyme treatment of textile fibres. Enzymes are globular proteins whose catalytic function is due to their three dimensional structure. For this reason, stability strategies make use of compounds that avoid dismantling or distorting protein 3D structures. This study is concerned with the use of microencapsulation techniques to optimize enzyme stabilization. Laccases were embedded in phophatidylcholine liposomes and their encaps...

the hydrostatic properties change rapidly with mean draft and the longitudinal center of flotation is not near amidships, which occurs with barge...for the vessel. Fixed ballast of the U.S. Steel " QCM " Concentrate capped with concrete layer was installed, for the total 2085 Long Tons and is...Architecture II 646, Stability and Trim Ship stability and trim. Define terms related to the flotation properties of a ship. Study of forces and

This project involved four distinct research activities, (1) the influence of temperature on lime-stabilized soils, (2) the influence of temperature on cement-stabilized soils (3) temperature modeling of stabilized subgrade and (4) use of calcium chl...

Stability, the capacity of ecosystems to persist in the face of change, has proven its relevance as a fundamental component of ecological theory. Here, we would like to explore meaningful and quantifiable metrics to define stability, with a focus on highly variable arid and semi-arid savanna ecosystems. Recognizing the importance of a characteristic timescale to any definition of stability, our metrics will be focused scales from annual to multi-annual, capturing different aspects of stability. Our three measures of stability, in increasing order of temporal scale, are: (1) Ecosystem resistance, quantified as the degree to which the system maintains its mean state in response to a perturbation (drought), based on inter-annual variability in Normalized Difference Vegetation Index (NDVI). (2) An optimization approach, relevant to arid systems with pulse dynamics, that models vegetation structure and function based on a trade off between the ability to respond to resource availability and avoid stress. (3) Community resilience, measured as species turnover rate (β diversity). Understanding the nature of stability in structurally-diverse arid ecosystems, which are highly variable, yields theoretical insight which has practical implications.

Purpose: To conduct a cost analysis, a narrow cost-utility study, for upper respiratory tract infection medications in University Sans Malaysia's clinics. Methods: Retrospective analysis was done for all medical claims of upper respiratory tract infections in the period 2008 - 2009. The study was done in the clinics under ...

Background: Right upper quadrant abdominal pain is a common reason for consulting a gastroenterologist. Commonly, it portends pathological processes occurring in the liver, gall bladder, or the gut however, unusual causes have been reported. We report cervical intervertebral disc prolapse causing right upper quadrant ...

Pathological muscular hypertrophy results from either muscular or neurogenic damage. Rarely, it is caused by a congenital malformation consisting of a unilateral muscular hyperplasia of the upper extremity. We report on a young woman with an enlargement of the right upper extremity. Electromyography

This paper describes the current status, general content, and application of the standards EN 1005, ISO 11226, and ISO 11228-3 concerning upper limb risk assessment. The upper limb risk assessment according to International Organization for Standardization (ISO)/CEN standards is discussed. Risk

... located in the upper Awash River, and analyzed to evaluate stressor sources and the general stream water quality. The percentage abundance of families of various macroinvertebrates taxonomic groups was identified from all sites. Accordingly, Koka bridge site of the upper Awash River had low water quality status which ...

In the first part of this thesis we developed a novel prediction score for predicting upper gastrointestinal (GI) bleeding in both NSAID and low-dose aspirin users. Both for NSAIDs and low-dose aspirin use risk scores were developed by identifying the five most dominant predictors. The risk of upper

Deglaciation during the Holocene on Iceland caused uplift due to glacial isostatic adjustment. Relatively low estimates for the upper mantle viscosity and lithospheric thickness result in rapid uplift responses to the deglaciation cycles on Iceland. The relatively high temperatures of the upper

The June-August season experiences the highest ozone levels in the low levels and December - February the highest concentration in upper levels as compared to the other seasons. Easterlies are predominant in the lower troposphere, up to about 500mb, westerlies in the mid troposphere and again, easterlies in upper ...

Two patients who sustained severe blunt injury to the pelvis without external injury to the upper abdomen or lower chest, yet who were found to have a ruptured solid upper abdominal viscus, are reported. The first patient on delayed arrival revealed clinical features suggestive of intra-abdominal bleeding and was found to.

These data have been analysed to examine the diurnal variability of upper oceanic heat budget and to estimate the eddy diffusivity coefficient of heat in the upper layer. Diurnal variation of near-surface temperature is typical at northern location (13°N) with a range of 0.5°C while the diurnal range of temperature is enhanced ...

The purpose of this exploratory-descriptive study was to determine the career development of upper primary school students in Turkey. The Revised Career Awareness Survey (RCAS) was completed by 644 Turkish upper primary school students. Results indicated that the students were able to associate their own personal characteristics with particular…

htmlabstractRecently A. Schrijver derived new upper bounds for binary codes using semidefinite programming. In this paper we adapt this approach to codes on the unit sphere and we compute new upper bounds for the kissing number in several dimensions. In particular our computations give the (known)

htmlabstractRecently A. Schrijver derived new upper bounds for binary codes using semidefinite programming. In this paper we adapt this approach to codes on the unit sphere and we compute new upper bounds for the kissing number in several dimensions. In particular our computations give the (known)

OBJECTIVE: To develop an International Spinal Cord Injury (SCI) Upper Extremity Basic Data Set as part of the International SCI Data Sets, which facilitates consistent collection and reporting of basic upper extremity findings in the SCI population. SETTING: International. METHODS: A first draft...

BACKGROUND: About 5% to 10% of all deep vein thromboses occur in the upper extremities. Serious complications of upper extremity deep vein thrombosis, such as post-thrombotic syndrome and pulmonary embolism, may in theory be avoided using thrombolysis. No systematic review has assessed the effect...

Background: Upper urinary tract obstruction is a common cause of severe symptoms, recurrent urinary tract infection and deterioration or complete loss of renal function when intervention is not timely. Objective: To document the pattern of presentation and the management options for the benign upper urinary tract ...

We develop an elementary formula for certain non-trivial elements of upper cluster algebras. These elements have positive coefficients. We show that when the cluster algebra is acyclic these elements form a basis. Using this formula, we show that each non-acyclic skew-symmetric cluster algebra of rank 3 is properly contained in its upper cluster algebra.

Percutaneous access to the upper thoracic vertebrae under fluoroscopic guidance is challenging. We describe our positioning technique facilitating optimal visualisation of the high thoracic vertebrae in the prone position. This allows safe practice of kyphoplasty, vertebroplasty and biopsy throughout the upper thoracic spine. PMID:19575242

Although allergic rhinitis and asthma frequently coexist, the nature of this association is poorly understood. Therefore, we examined whether upper and lower airway patency are associated.......Although allergic rhinitis and asthma frequently coexist, the nature of this association is poorly understood. Therefore, we examined whether upper and lower airway patency are associated....

both diagnostic and therapeutic upper GI endoscopy services to both adult and paediatric populations from all over .... positive and had triple therapy with amoxicillin, clarithromycin and omeprazole. Four of the six subjects with .... Khan MR, Ahmed S, Ali SR, Maheshwari PK, Jamal MS. Spectrum of upper GI endoscopy in ...

The article presents the Polish educational system, its constituent part - upper secondary education, in particular. Describing the qualitative changes in the upper secondary schools (secondary schools of the second extent) the author singles out one significant document that has changed the direction of education, created the conditions for…

Full Text Available The influenced of respiration to dentocraniofacial growth and development is still controversial. The accurate radiologic examination is important factor for proper diagnosis. Deviation of upper airway (i.e. nasopharynx, oropharymx and nasal cavity could be evaluated by lateral and anteroposterior cephalometric projection technique. This paper explains several methods to evaluate upper respiratory tract by lateral radiograph.

Upper gastrointestinal complaints are common in Kenya. Though these have remained unchanged over the last 20 years, the pattern of upper gastrointestinal disease on endoscopic examination seems to be changing. There appears to be progressive increase in oesophagitis and cancer of the stomach. Peptic ulcer ...

Foreign bodies of the upper digestive tract in Komfo Anokye teaching hospital. ... Journal of Science and Technology (Ghana) ... the foreign body, the management and the outcome of foreign body impaction in the upper digestive tract, in Komfo Anokye Teaching Hospital (KATH) between January 2007 and December 2012.

Background: Upper Songkhla Lake, a single lagoon of Thailand, is surrounded by sandy, mangrove, and swamp forests. Many plants growing in these areas have medicinal properties, however they have never been investigated. The aim of this study was to explore medicinal plants from upper Songkhla Lake, Songkhla ...

Pain originating from the upper urinary tract is a common problem and stone colic is one of the most intense pain conditions that can be experienced in the clinic. The pain is difficult to alleviate and often leads to medical attention. In humans, pain mechanisms of the upper urinary tract pain...

In January 2004, President Bush gave the National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) a vision for Space Exploration by setting our sight on a bold new path to go back to the Moon, then to Mars and beyond. In response to this vision, NASA started the Constellation Program, which is a new exploration launch vehicle program. The primary mission for the Constellation Program is to carry out a series of human expeditions ranging from Low Earth Orbit to the surface of Mars and beyond for the purposes of conducting human exploration of space, as specified by the Vision for Space Exploration (VSE). The intent is that the information and technology developed by this program will provide the foundation for broader exploration activities as our operational experience grows. The ARES I Crew Launch Vehicle (CLV) has been designated as the launch vehicle that will be developed as a "first step" to facilitate the aforementioned human expeditions. The CLV Project is broken into four major elements: First Stage, Upper Stage Engine, Upper Stage (US), and the Crew Exploration Vehicle (CEV). NASA's Marshall Space Flight Center (MSFC) is responsible for the design of the CLV and has the prime responsibility to design the upper stage of the vehicle. The US is the second propulsive stage of the CLV and provides CEV insertion into low Earth orbit (LEO) after separation from the First Stage of the Crew Launch Vehicle. The fully integrated Upper Stage is a mix of modified existing heritage hardware (J-2X Engine) and new development (primary structure, subsystems, and avionics). The Upper Stage assembly is a structurally stabilized cylindrical structure, which is powered by a single J-2X engine which is developed as a separate Element of the CLV. The primary structure includes the load bearing liquid hydrogen (LH2) and liquid oxygen (LOX) propellant tanks, a Forward Skirt, the Intertank structure, the Aft Skirt and the Thrust Structure. A Systems Tunnel, which carries fluid and

Power system long term stability is still a developing subject. In this paper we provide our perspectives and experiences related to long term stability. The paper begins with the description of the nature of the long term stability problem, followed by the discussion of issues related to the modeling and solution techniques of tools for long term stability analysis. Cases studies are presented to illustrate the voltage stability aspect and plant dynamics aspect of long term stability. (author) 20 refs., 11 figs.

Highlights: ► An upper bound on the Lyapunov exponent of asynchronously updated CA is established. ► The employed update method has repercussions on the stability of CAs. ► A decision on the employed update method should be taken with care. ► Substantial discrepancies arise between synchronously and asynchronously updated CA. ► Discrepancies between different asynchronous update schemes are less pronounced. - Abstract: Although cellular automata (CAs) were conceptualized as utter discrete mathematical models in which the states of all their spatial entities are updated simultaneously at every consecutive time step, i.e. synchronously, various CA-based models that rely on so-called asynchronous update methods have been constructed in order to overcome the limitations that are tied up with the classical way of evolving CAs. So far, only a few researchers have addressed the consequences of this way of updating on the evolved spatio-temporal patterns, and the reachable stationary states. In this paper, we exploit Lyapunov exponents to determine to what extent the stability of the rules within a family of totalistic CAs is affected by the underlying update method. For that purpose, we derive an upper bound on the maximum Lyapunov exponent of asynchronously iterated CAs, and show its validity, after which we present a comparative study between the Lyapunov exponents obtained for five different update methods, namely one synchronous method and four well-established asynchronous methods. It is found that the stability of CAs is seriously affected if one of the latter methods is employed, whereas the discrepancies arising between the different asynchronous methods are far less pronounced and, finally, we discuss the repercussions of our findings on the development of CA-based models.

Full Text Available Purpose : To study the association of various risk factors and epidemiological variables of mycotic keratitis treated at a tertiary referral hospital of upper Assam. Materials and Methods: In this hospital-based prospective study a total of 310 consecutive corneal ulcer cases attending the ophthalmology outpatient department of Assam Medical College were enrolled between April 2007 and March 2009. After clinical and slit-lamp biomicroscopic examination in all suspected cases, smears and culture examination for fungus was done to establish the etiology. Demographic information and associated probable risk factors of individual cases were noted in a predesigned questionnaire. Results: In 188 (60.6% cases fungal etiology could be established. Out of them 67.6% were males. The most commonly affected age group was 41-50 years (25.5%. The maximum (23.4% cases were reported during the paddy harvesting season in Assam (January and February. Fungal element could be demonstrated in 65.2% cases in direct potassium hydroxide (KOH mount. The commonest predisposing factor was corneal injury (74.5%. While diabetes was a significant systemic predisposing factor in mixed bacterial and fungal infections in 11.1% cases, blocked naso-lacrimal duct was the local predisposing factor in 11.1% of cases. Fusarium solani (25% was the commonest isolate followed by Aspergillus species (19%, Curvularia species (18.5% and Penicillium species (15.2%. Yeasts were isolated in 2.7% (n=5 cases. Conclusions : Ocular trauma was the commonest cause of fungal corneal ulcer in Assam and Fusarium solani was the commonest species responsible for it. Most of the mycotic ulcer cases come from rural areas including the tea gardens.

Full Text Available Eli O Meltzer1, Fernan Caballero2, Leonard M Fromer3, John H Krouse4, Glenis Scadding51Allergy and Asthma Medical Group and Research Center, San Diego, CA and Department of Pediatrics, University of California, San Diego, USA; 2Allergy and Clinical Immunology Service, Centro Medico-Docente La Trinidad, Caracas, Venezuela; 3David Geffen School of Medicine, University of California, Los Angeles, USA; 4Wayne State University School of Medicine, Detroit, Michigan, USA; 5Department of Allergy and Rhinology, Royal National TNE Hospital, London, UKAbstract: Congestion, as a symptom of upper respiratory tract diseases including seasonal and perennial allergic rhinitis, acute and chronic rhinosinusitis, and nasal polyposis, is principally caused by mucosal inflammation. Though effective pharmacotherapy options exist, no agent is universally efficacious; therapeutic decisions must account for individual patient preferences. Oral H1-antihistamines, though effective for the common symptoms of allergic rhinitis, have modest decongestant action, as do leukotriene receptor antagonists. Intranasal antihistamines appear to improve congestion better than oral forms. Topical decongestants reduce congestion associated with allergic rhinitis, but local adverse effects make them unsuitable for long-term use. Oral decongestants show some efficacy against congestion in allergic rhinitis and the common cold, and can be combined with oral antihistamines. Intranasal corticosteroids have broad anti-inflammatory activities, are the most potent long-term pharmacologic treatment of congestion associated with allergic rhinitis, and show some congestion relief in rhinosinusitis and nasal polyposis. Immunotherapy and surgery may be used in some cases refractory to pharmacotherapy. Steps in congestion management include (1 diagnosis of the cause(s, (2 patient education and monitoring, (3 avoidance of environmental triggers where possible, (4 pharmacotherapy, and (5 immunotherapy

To study the association of various risk factors and epidemiological variables of mycotic keratitis treated at a tertiary referral hospital of upper Assam. In this hospital-based prospective study a total of 310 consecutive corneal ulcer cases attending the ophthalmology outpatient department of Assam Medical College were enrolled between April 2007 and March 2009. After clinical and slit-lamp biomicroscopic examination in all suspected cases, smears and culture examination for fungus was done to establish the etiology. Demographic information and associated probable risk factors of individual cases were noted in a predesigned questionnaire. In 188 (60.6%) cases fungal etiology could be established. Out of them 67.6% were males. The most commonly affected age group was 41-50 years (25.5%). The maximum (23.4%) cases were reported during the paddy harvesting season in Assam (January and February). Fungal element could be demonstrated in 65.2% cases in direct potassium hydroxide (KOH) mount. The commonest predisposing factor was corneal injury (74.5%). While diabetes was a significant systemic predisposing factor in mixed bacterial and fungal infections in 11.1% cases, blocked naso-lacrimal duct was the local predisposing factor in 11.1% of cases. Fusarium solani (25%) was the commonest isolate followed by Aspergillus species (19%), Curvularia species (18.5%) and Penicillium species (15.2%). Yeasts were isolated in 2.7% (n=5) cases. Ocular trauma was the commonest cause of fungal corneal ulcer in Assam and Fusarium solani was the commonest species responsible for it. Most of the mycotic ulcer cases come from rural areas including the tea gardens.

Full Text Available Based on the petrological study, according to single factor analysis and multifactor comprehensive mapping method, the quantitative lithofacies palaeogeography of the Upper Permian Changxing Stage of the Middle and Upper Yangtze Region was studied. The Changxing Stage in the Middle and Upper Yangtze Region is mainly composed of carbonate rocks; in addition, clastic and siliceous rocks occur with rare coals and pyroclastic rocks. Lithofacies can be divided into five types, including clastic rock assemblage, clastic rock–limestone assemblage, limestone assemblage, limestone–siliceous rock assemblage, and siliceous rock–clastic rock assemblage. Four fundamental ecological types and five fossil assemblages were recognized in the Changxing Stage. On the basis of the petrological and palaeoecological study, eight single factors were chosen including thickness, content of marine rocks, content of shallow water carbonate rocks, content of bioclasts with limemud matrix, content of bioclasts with sparry cement, distribution of reefs, content of thin bedded siliceous rocks and content of deep water sedimentary rocks. And eight single factor maps and one lithofacies paleogeographic map of the Changxing Stage were compiled. Paleoenvironments from west to east include an erosional area, fluvial plain, clastic platform, carbonate platform and reefs that developed there, slope and basin, low energy organic banks, and high energy organic banks. Sedimentary environments have an obvious control on the development of the source rocks, and the excellent source rocks are developed in the Dalong Formation. Changxing Stage reservoirs should be dominated by the reef and platform surrounding the Guangyuan–Liangping Basin rim area, and is the most favorable exploration area of the reef petroleum reservoirs of the Changxing Formation.

Full Text Available The article deals with the problem of stability of the truck while unloading. The main symptom is a loss of stability of a vehicle rollover. The most common vehicle rollover occurs when unloading on sloped sites. The unloading area can be both longitudinal and cross slope. In this regard, the main task of the calculation is to determine the stability of the car the maximum allowable angle of discharge site and loads acting on the bearing system of the car.The paper presents a developed mathematical model of the truck when unloading on the longitudinal slope. It also offers the procedure of the step change in the parameters for the calculation of the critical angle of the site. The formulas for calculating the force interaction platform and the support system in the truck unloading at the site with a longitudinal slope are given. On the basis of the developed technique, a program for calculating longitudinal stability and loads acting on the bearing system dump trucks is created.Modern methods to assess stability while unloading the truck on a cross slope are analyzed. It is noted that the solution of this problem is developing in two directions. The first approach involves the testing truck samples on the special stands. Examples of bench tests on the stability of trucks are given. Another approach uses computational methods for the study. However, this requires the creation of a complex mathematical model of the truck, which should take into account the structural features of the suspension, the nonlinear elastic suspension components and tires, as well as the possibility of plastic deformation of the support system in torsion. In this formulation, the problem can only be solved using numerical methods and may be the subject of further research.The proposed approach allows multiple calculations for truck strength and stability already at an early designing stage in order to find the optimal design solution.

Magnetic fields in upper main-sequence stars, white dwarfs, and neutron stars are known to persist for timescales comparable to their lifetimes. From a theoretical perspective this is problematic, as it can be shown that simple magnetic field configurations are always unstable. In non-barotropic stars, stable stratification allows for a much wider range of magnetic field structures than in barotropic stars, and helps stabilize them by making it harder to induce radial displacements. Recent si...

Objectives: This study aimed to evaluate the effect of storage period on dimensional stability of Alginplus and Hydrogum 5.Materials and Methods: In this in vitro experimental study, 60 impressions were taken of an upper jaw typodont, including 10 impressions for each storage period to be tested (12 minutes, 24 and 120 hours) for each type of alginate. Then, the impressions were stored in an incubator with stable temperature and humidity, and poured using a type III dental stone. Subsequently...

This document summarizes progress made on the research of high beta and second region transport and stability. In the area second stability region studies we report on an investigation of the possibility of second region access in the center of TFTR ''supershots.'' The instabilities found may coincide with experimental observation. Significant progress has been made on the resistive stability properties of high beta poloidal ''supershot'' discharges. For these studies profiles were taken from the TRANSP transport analysis code which analyzes experimental data. Invoking flattening of the pressure profile on mode rational surfaces causes tearing modes to persist into the experimental range of interest. Further, the experimental observation of the modes seems to be consistent with the predictions of the MHD model. In addition, code development in several areas has proceeded

Full Text Available To construct copper heap leaching structures, a stepped heap of ore is placed over an isolated sloping surface and then washed with sulphuric acid. The isolated bed of such a heap consists of some natural and geosynthetic layers. Shear strength parameters between these layers are low, so they form the possible sliding surfaces of the heaps. Economic and environmental considerations call for studying such slides. In this study, firstly, results of the laboratory tests carried on the materials of the heap leaching structures bed are presented. Then, the instability mechanisms of such structures are investigated and proper approaches are summarized for their stabilization. Finally, stability of the Miduk copper heap is evaluated as a case history, and appropriate approaches and their effects are discussed for its stabilization.

The parabolized stability equation (PSE) approach is employed to study linear and nonlinear compressible stability with an eye to providing a capability for boundary-layer transition prediction in both 'quiet' and 'disturbed' environments. The governing compressible stability equations are solved by a rational parabolizing approximation in the streamwise direction. Nonparallel flow effects are studied for both the first- and second-mode disturbances. For oblique waves of the first-mode type, the departure from the parallel results is more pronounced as compared to that for the two-dimensional waves. Results for the Mach 4.5 case show that flow nonparallelism has more influence on the first mode than on the second. The disturbance growth rate is shown to be a strong function of the wall-normal distance due to either flow nonparallelism or nonlinear interactions. The subharmonic and fundamental types of breakdown are found to be similar to the ones in incompressible boundary layers.

This paper presents the technical background of the Trim and Static module of the Matlab Stability and Control Toolbox. This module performs a low-fidelity stability and control assessment of an aircraft model for a set of flight critical conditions. This is attained by determining if the control authority available for trim is sufficient and if the static stability characteristics are adequate. These conditions can be selected from a prescribed set or can be specified to meet particular requirements. The prescribed set of conditions includes horizontal flight, take-off rotation, landing flare, steady roll, steady turn and pull-up/ push-over flight, for which several operating conditions can be specified. A mathematical model was developed allowing for six-dimensional trim, adjustable inertial properties, asymmetric vehicle layouts, arbitrary number of engines, multi-axial thrust vectoring, engine(s)-out conditions, crosswind and gyroscopic effects.

Full Text Available Earth dam with impervious element in the form of asphaltic concrete core is currently the most promising type of earth dams (due to simple construction technology and universal service properties of asphaltic concrete and is widely used in the world. However, experience in the construction and operation of high dams (above 160 m is not available, and their work is scarcely explored. In this regard, the paper discusses the results of computational prediction of the stress-strain state and stability of a high earth dam (256 m high with the core. The authors considered asphaltic concrete containing 7 % of bitumen as the material of the core. Gravel was considered as the material of resistant prisms. Design characteristics of the rolled asphaltic concrete and gravel were obtained from the processing of the results of triaxial tests. The calculations were performed using finite element method in elastoplastic formulation and basing on the phased construction of the dam and reservoir filling. The research shows, that the work of embankment dam with vertical core during filling of the reservoir is characterized by horizontal displacement of the lower resistant prism in the tailrace and the formation of a hard wedge prism descending along the core in the upper resistant prism. The key issue of the safety assessment is to determine the safety factor of the overall stability of the dam, for calculation of which the destruction of the earth dam is necessary, which can be done by reducing the strength properties of the dam materials. As a results of the calculations, the destruction of the dam occurs with a decrease in the strength characteristics of the materials of the dam by 2.5 times. The dam stability depends on the stability of the lower resistant prism. The destruction of its slope occurs on the classical circular-cylindrical surface. The presence of a potential collapse surface in the upper resistant prism (on the edges of the descending wedge does

Full Text Available Almost two years after the deployment of the United Nations Multidimensional Integrated Stabilization Mission in Mali (MINUSMA in July 2013, the increasing number of asymmetric terrorist attacks targeting UN peacekeepers – in the context of a drawn-out peace process – has raised a number of questions in Mali, the sub-region, and in New York, over the relevance and adequacies of MINUSMA’s mandate and capabilities. It also raises a broader issue, of whether the consent-based UN peacekeeping tool is appropriate and can be effective in carrying out stabilization mandates in such a context and what doctrine such operations should be based on. The UN is indeed under increasing pressure from host countries and some African troop-contributing countries to go on the offensive. Member States have also increasingly recognized terrorism and organized crime as a strategic threat, and while opposed to the UN directly engaging in counterterrorism (CT operations, some may wish to see the UN playing a greater stabilization role following the January 2013 French military intervention in Mali. However, little guidance and means have been given so far to UN missions for dealing with such threats and implementing effective stabilization mandates. The High-Level Panel on Peace Operations, which recently released its report, noted that the usage of the term “stabilization” by the UN requires clarification. This article analyses the complex and evolving nature of threats in northern Mali and implications for MINUSMA and describes the military and political tools – including mediation – so far available within and outside the UN. The article concludes that the UN is bound to move towards stabilization when and if deployed in contexts such as Mali’s if it wants to remain relevant. However, such a move should be based on an overarching UN stabilization doctrine and context-specific UN-wide stabilization strategies which are first and foremost political

Wearable robots can potentially offer their users enhanced stability and strength. These augmentations are ideally designed to actuate harmoniously with the users movements and provide extra force as needed. The creation of such robots, however, is particularly challenging due to the complexity of the underlying human body. In this paper, we present a compliant, robotic exosuit for upper-extremities called CRUX. This exosuit, inspired by tensegrity models of the human arm, features a lightweight (1.3 kg), flexible design for portability. We also show how CRUX maintains full flexibility of the upper-extremities for its users while providing multi- DoF augmentative strength to the major muscles of the arm, as evident by tracking the heart rate of an individual exercising said arm. Exosuits such as CRUX may be useful in physical therapy and in extreme environments where users are expected to exert their bodies to the fullest extent.

Full Text Available BACKGROUND Endoscopy is key diagnostic tool for management of upper gastro intestinal bleeding. In addition it provides a unique therapeutic opportunity which has over years reduced the need for emergency surgery, but the impact on survival is less dramatic with the mortality from severe upper gastro intestinal bleeding remaining fairly constant. MATERIALS AND METHODS Hundred Patients who were giving definite history of vomiting of frank blood or coffee ground coloured vomit and or passed dark coloured stools were admitted during study period and were subjected to endoscopy to identify the aetiology. RESULTS In this study of 100 patients mean age of the patients was 48 years. Majority of them are males (82% and Male to Female ratio was 4.5:1. The most common cause of UGIB was portal hypertension related variceal bleed seen in 28% of patients. Peptic ulcer related bleed was seen in 25% of patients. Mallory Weiss tear was seen in 15% of patients, Oesophagitis (12% of patients, gastric erosions 7% of patients, duodenitis 6% of patients, GAVE accounted for 3% of patients, 2% of patients showing normal endoscopic findings, post EVL variceal bleed (1% and carcinoma stomach accounted for 1% of cases. CONCLUSION In present study variceal bleed was the most common cause of UGIB, followed by peptic ulcer bleed and variceal bleed was most common cause for major UGI bleed.

The dynamic heave stability of an air cushion vehicle or hovercraft hovering over deep water without forward motion is investigated analytically. The principal feature of the analysis is the modeling of the motion of the water surface beneath the cushion caused by fluctuations in the pressure of the cushion or cavity air. This surface motion interacts with the vehicle dynamics by modulating both the volume and exit flow area of the cushion. For analytical simplicity, the geometry chosen for study is a 2D section of a rigid wall plenum chamber; this enables exploitation of classical linear wave formulas developed by Lamb for the surface motion generated by a spatially uniform surface pressure oscillating sinusoidally in time. To assess stability characteristics, the Nyquist criterion is applied to the linearized equations. Results are presented for two cases: one is representative of a small test vehicle, and the other of a large ice-breaking platform. They show that the water surface motion significantly affects stability through both of the proposed mechanisms, with cushion exit flow area modulation usually being more important. A feature of the results is that as the weight of a vehicle decreases many stability transitions occur. This suggests that simple guidelines for avoiding instability may not exist, so that stability augmentation devices may be required for vehicles designed to hover for extended periods over water.

Full Text Available Background: Emotional stability remains the central theme in personality studies. The concept of stable emotional behavior at any level is that which reflects the fruits of normal emotional development. The study aims at development of an emotional stability scale. Materials and Methods: Based on available literature the components of emotional stability were identified and 250 items were developed, covering each component. Two-stage elimination of items was carried out, i.e. through judges′ opinions and item analysis. Results: Fifty items with highest ′t′ values covering 5 dimensions of emotional stability viz pessimism vs. optimism, anxiety vs. calm, aggression vs. tolerance., dependence vs. autonomy., apathy vs. empathy were retained in the final scale. Reliability as checked by Cronbach′s alpha was .81 and by split half method it was .79. Content validity and construct validity were checked. Norms are given in the form of cumulative percentages. Conclusion: Based on the psychometric principles a 50 item, self-administered 5 point Lickert type rating scale was developed for measurement of emotional stability.

The Space Launch System (SLS) is envisioned as a heavy-lift vehicle that will provide the foundation for future beyond low-Earth orbit (LEO) exploration missions. Previous studies have been performed to determine the optimal configuration for the SLS and the applicability of commercial off-the-shelf in-space stages for Earth departure. Currently NASA is analyzing the concept of a Dual Use Upper Stage (DUUS) that will provide LEO insertion and Earth departure burns. This paper will explore candidate in-space stages based on the DUUS design for a wide range of beyond LEO missions. Mission payloads will range from small robotic systems up to human systems with deep space habitats and landers. Mission destinations will include cislunar space, Mars, Jupiter, and Saturn. Given these wide-ranging mission objectives, a vehicle-sizing tool has been developed to determine the size of an Earth departure stage based on the mission objectives. The tool calculates masses for all the major subsystems of the vehicle including propellant loads, avionics, power, engines, main propulsion system components, tanks, pressurization system and gases, primary structural elements, and secondary structural elements. The tool uses an iterative sizing algorithm to determine the resulting mass of the stage. Any input into one of the subsystem sizing routines or the mission parameters can be treated as a parametric sweep or as a distribution for use in Monte Carlo analysis. Taking these factors together allows for multi-variable, coupled analysis runs. To increase confidence in the tool, the results have been verified against two point-of-departure designs of the DUUS. The tool has also been verified against Apollo moon mission elements and other manned space systems. This paper will focus on trading key propulsion technologies including chemical, Nuclear Thermal Propulsion (NTP), and Solar Electric Propulsion (SEP). All of the key performance inputs and relationships will be presented and

Full Text Available Background: ALS is the most devastating form of motor neuron disease, and the chance of survival is 3 to 5 years after the diagnosis is made. The pathogenesis of the disease is unknown. Several upper and lower motor neuron symptoms such as weakness, gait bradykinesia, and muscle atrophy have been reported. The core muscles are considered to be the center of the functional kinetic chain due to the links with upper and lower limbs. Methods: The patient in this case study was a 42 year-old woman suffering from ALSfor two years prior to the study. She had typical upper and lower motor symptoms, but her chief complaints were inability to walk, standing balance impairment, and a tendency to fall posteriorly. She performed core stabilization exercises, which were done three times per day. She was followed for three months. Results: Core stabilization exercises improved her quality of life, and she could walk independently after three months of exercise. In addition, her tendency toward falling posteriorly was completely alleviated. Conclusion: Core stabilization exercises were beneficial to the patient, and she was satisfied because her quality of life had improved.

The eyelid of a young person can be distinguished by the lateral fullness of the upper eyelid. With aging, lateral fullness decreases. Volume restoration in the periorbital area has been previously addressed by fat draping and grafting. More recently, techniques for regaining lateral fullness of the upper eyelid have focused on fat grafting, although effective graft take, reabsorption, and irregularities have been a concern. To address these issues, the concept of pedicled fat draping in the upper eyelid was explored. In a retrospective study from June 2006 to August 2008, 31 patients underwent upper blepharoplasty with augmentation of the lateral fullness with a pedicled fat flap from the central fat pad. The fat from the central compartment was elevated, dissected, and then transposed to the lateral upper eyelid below the orbicularis muscle. All patients were women ranging in age from 43 to 68 years. Pre- and postoperative picture comparison demonstrated a more youthful appearance with increased lateral fullness of the upper eyelids. There were no cases of fat necrosis encountered. Increased volume remained stable over an average of one-year follow-up. No complications were recorded. Transposing a pedicled fat pad from the central compartment laterally has proven to be an effective technique for achieving predictable upper lateral eyelid fullness and thus achieving a long-lasting, more youthful appearance.

... during this period. (6) Values for TSM/J will vary with the Carson Division water demand as shown in... defined in the following table along with an example of TSM/J for Carson River water demand of 271,000... upon water availability and Project demand as expressed in the following relationship: TRD=TDD+ TCL+CDD...

To survey participants at various experience levels of different martial arts (MA) about upper extremity injuries sustained during training and fighting. A 21-s question survey was designed and utilised. The survey was divided into four groups (Demographics, Injury Description, Injury Mechanism, and Miscellaneous information) to gain knowledge about upper extremity injuries sustained during martial arts participation. Chi-square testing was utilised to assess for significant associations. Males comprised 81% of respondents. Involvement in multiple forms of MA was the most prevalent (38%). The hand/wrist was the most common area injured (53%), followed by the shoulder/upper arm (27%) and the forearm/elbow (19%). Joint sprains/muscle strains were the most frequent injuries reported overall (47%), followed by abrasions/bruises (26%). Dislocations of the upper extremity were reported by 47% of participants while fractures occurred in 39%. Surgeries were required for 30% of participants. Females were less likely to require surgery and more likely to have shoulder and elbow injuries. Males were more likely to have hand injuries. Participants of Karate and Tae Kwon Do were more likely to have injuries to their hands, while participants of multiple forms were more likely to sustain injuries to their shoulders/upper arms and more likely to develop chronic upper extremity symptoms. With advanced level of training the likelihood of developing chronic upper extremity symptoms increases, and multiple surgeries were required. Hand protection was associated with a lower risk of hand injuries. Martial arts can be associated with substantial upper extremity injuries that may require surgery and extended time away from participation. Injuries may result in chronic upper extremity symptoms. Hand protection is important for reducing injuries to the hand and wrist.

The oxygen fugacity (fO2) of the Earth's upper mantle appears to lie somewhat above that of the iron-wu??stite buffer, its fO2 is assumed to have been similar to the present value at the time of core formation. In the upper mantle, the Fe-rich liquid protocore that would form under such conditions of fO2 at elevated temperatures would lie predominantly in the system Fe-S-O. Distribution coefficients for Co, Cu, Ni, Ir, Au, Ir, W, Re, Mo, Ag and Ga between such liquids and basalt are known and minimum values are known for Ge. From these coefficients, upper mantle abundances for the above elements can be calculated by assuming cosmic abundances for the whole Earth and equilibrium between the Fe-S-O protocore and upper mantle. These calculated abundances are surprisingly close to presently known upper mantle abundances; agreements are within a factor of 5, except for Cu, W, and Mo. Therefore, siderophile element abundances in the upper mantle based on known distribution coefficients do not demand a late-stage meteoritic bombardment, and a protocore formed from the upper mantle containing S and O seems likely. As upper mantle abundances fit a local equilibrium model, then either the upper mantle has not been mixed with the rest of the mantle since core formation, or else partition coefficients between protocore and mantle were similar for the whole mantle regardless of P, T, and fO2. The latter possibility seems unlikely over such a P-T range. ?? 1984.

To analyze high risk factors of postoperative upper gastrointestinal (GI) bleeding after neurosurgery so as to give guidance for prevention of GI bleeding. A questionnaire was developed to investigate the medical records of 1500 patients who were hospitalized and underwent neurosurgical operations in 1997. Logistic regression analysis was made. 1430 valid questionnaires were obtained. Postoperative upper GI bleeding occurred in 75 patients (5.24%). The incidence of upper GI bleeding were 6.64% (54/813) in the male patients and 3.40% (21/617) in the female persons (P = 0.007); 9.88% (41/415) in those aged > 50 and 3.35% in those aged hematoma, intraventricular hemorrhage, subdural hematoma, and extradural hematoma were 15.7%, 10.0%, 6.00%, and 2.94% respectively (P = 0.02). The incidence of upper GI bleeding of the patients with tumors of fourth ventricle of cerebrum, brainstem, cerebral hemisphere, and sellar hypothalamus were 15.79% (3/19), 7.89%, 5.71%, and 3.74% respectively. In the emergent cases, the incidence of upper GI bleeding was higher in those with hypertension. The incidence of upper GI bleeding was 5.46% in the patients undergoing adrenocortical hormone treatment, significantly higher than that in those who did not receive such treatment (2.13%). Patients who are at high risk of developing postoperative upper GI bleeding including that: age greater than 50 years; male; Glasgow Coma Score less than 10 pre and post operation; The lesion was located in brain stem and forth ventricle; Hypertensive cerebral hemorrhage; Intracerebral and intraventricular hemorrhagic brain trauma; Postoperative pneumonia, brain edema, encephalic high pressure, pyogenic infection of the central nervous system and other postoperative complications. The mortality of patients with postoperative upper GI bleeding was evidently higher than that of the patients without postoperative upper GI bleeding.

Full Text Available Unsaturated triglyceride oil sunflower was epoxidized and characterized by chemical and spectroscopic methods. Epoxidized sunflower oil (ESO was used as an organic thermal co-stabilizer for rigid poly(vinyl chloride (PVC in the presence of tricalcium dicitrate (Ca3(C6H5O72 and mercury (II acetate (Hg(CH3COO2. The thermo-oxidative degradation of PVC was studied in the presence of these ternary stabilizer systems at 170, 180, 190 and 200°C in N2 atmosphere. The effects of metal carboxylate combination Ca/Hg in the absence and in the presence of epoxidized sunflower oil on static heat treatment of PVC have been studied. The formation of polyene sequences was investigated by UV-visible and FT-IR spectroscopy and by comparing viscosity data obtained in the presence and in the absence of the additives. It was found that the additives retard the rate of degradation and reduce the extent of polymer chain scission associated with the thermal degradation of poly(vinyl chloride. Synergistic effects were found when stabilizer was blended in 50:50 weight ratios with either. It was found that ESO exerted a stabilizing effect on the degradation of PVC. The activation energy for degraded PVC in absence of stabilizers was 38.6 kJ•mol–1 and in the presence of Ca/Hg and Ca/Hg/ESO were 53.3 and 64.7 kJ•mol–1 respectively. In order of compare the efficiency of the epoxidized sunflower oil with these metal soap stabilizers, thermal stabilities were evaluated on the basis of evolved hydrogen chloride determined by conductometry technique and degree of discoloration are discussed.

Embodiments of a device, or a component of a device, including a stabilized graphite surface, methods of stabilizing graphite surfaces, and uses for the devices or components are disclosed. The device or component includes a surface comprising graphite, and a plurality of haloaryl ions and/or haloalkyl ions bound to at least a portion of the graphite. The ions may be perhaloaryl ions and/or perhaloalkyl ions. In certain embodiments, the ions are perfluorobenzenesulfonate anions. Embodiments of the device or component including stabilized graphite surfaces may maintain a steady-state oxidation or reduction surface current density after being exposed to continuous oxidation conditions for a period of at least 1-100 hours. The device or component is prepared by exposing a graphite-containing surface to an acidic aqueous solution of the ions under oxidizing conditions. The device or component can be exposed in situ to the solution.

Stability properties of an Extrap with N conductors are investigated. The plasma is described by the ideal MHD model, the surface current model is used and the noncircularity is assumed to be weak. The investigation is carried out to second order in a small parameter /EPSILON/ that is a measure of the noncircularity of the cross section. As expected it turns out that the degeneracy present in the circular case is removed to first order in /EPSILON/ for m=N/2 and to second order for m=N, m beeing the azimuthal mode number. For other m values the degeneracy prevails but the eigenfrequences are shifted. It is also found that the sausage modes are stabilized for wave- lengths longer than the circumference of the pinch, that some other modes are stabilized for short waves and that the non- circularity causes resonant coupling between certain modes

The stability calculations made for a shock-free supersonic jet using the model based on parabolized stability equations are presented. In this analysis the large scale structures, which play a dominant role in the mixing as well as the noise radiated, are modeled as instability waves. This model takes into consideration non-parallel flow effects and also nonlinear interaction of the instability waves. The stability calculations have been performed for different frequencies and mode numbers over a range of jet operating temperatures. Comparisons are made, where appropriate, with the solutions to Rayleigh's equation (linear, inviscid analysis with the assumption of parallel flow). The comparison of the solutions obtained using the two approaches show very good agreement.

In this work, we calculate the secular stability limits of rotating polytropes to nonaxisymmetric perturbations of low m. We consider polytropic indices ranging from 1 to 3 and several angular momentum distributions. Results are most conveniently presented in terms of the t-parameter, defined as the ratio of the rotational kinetic energy to the absolute value of the gravitational energy of the fluid. Previous work on polytropes considered only the m = 2 mode, which is unstable for values of the t-parameter greater than 0.14 +- 0.01 for the n values n = 1.5 and 3 and the angular momentum distributions tested (see Durisen and Imamura 1981). The GRR secular stability limit of the m = 2 mode for the Maclaurin spheroids (n = O) was determined by Chandrasekhar (1970). GRR stability limits of higher m modes for the Maclaurin spheroids were located approximately by Comins (1979a,b) and more precisely by Friedman (1983)

In our laboratory has been growing the interest in studying gold nanoparticles and for this reason, the aim of this work is report the first results of the effect of chitosan as stabilizer in gold nanoparticle formulation. AuNPs were synthesized by reducing hydrogen tetrachloroaurate (HAuCl 4 ) using NaBH 4 or gamma irradiation (25kGy) as reduction agent. The chitosan (3 mol L -1 ) was added at 0.5; 1.0 and 1.5 mL. The gold nanoparticles were characterized by UV-Vis absorption spectroscopy, X-ray diffraction (XRD) and Transmission electron microscopy (TEM). Their physical stability was determined using a UV-Vis spectrophotometer over one week during storage at room temperature. Absorption measurements indicated that the plasmon resonance wavelength appears at a wavelength around 530 nm. Has been observed that Chitosan in such quantities were not effective in stabilizing the AuNPs. (author)

Full Text Available Congenital bilateral ectropion of the upper eyelids is a rare, benign condition reported in ophthalmic literature. It is more frequently associated with Down’s syndrome, ichthyosis, and sporadic cases in newborns from black population. We report three cases of congenital bilateral upper eyelid ectropion associated with Down’s syndrome. Management of these patients usually requires medial and lateral canthoplasties, full-thickness pentagonal resection of the upper eyelids and placement of skin grafts. We present herein the evolution of one of these patients and we will discuss the mechanism of the eyelid ectropion and its treatment.

The upper slicing system is the main components of the optical system in MSCT. This paper focuses on the design of upper slicing system and its accuracy analysis to improve the accuracy of imaging. The error of slice thickness and ray center by bearings, screw and control system were analyzed and tested. In fact, the accumulated error measured is less than 1 microm, absolute error measured is less than 10 microm. Improving the accuracy of the upper slicing system contributes to the appropriate treatment methods and success rate of treatment.

The purpose of this paper is to reveal explanations for completing upper secondary education. Focus is on the mechanisms that drive attainment of upper secondary education. I analyze the relative contributions of different factors measured by the relative increases in the log likelihood function. I......, showing that characteristics other than the traditional variables all have significant importance. The analysis clearly depicted that the social position and educational levels of both parents remain important in determining whether the child embarks on completing an upper secondary education...

An upper dominating set in a graph is a minimal dominating set of maximum cardinality. The problem of finding an upper dominating set is generally NP-hard. We study the complexity of this problem in finitely defined classes of graphs and conjecture that the problem admits a complexity dichotomy in this family. A helpful tool to study the complexity of an algorithmic problem is the notion of boundary classes. However, none of such classes has been identified so far for the upper dominating set problem. We discover the first boundary class for this problem and prove the dichotomy for monogenic classes.

Full Text Available Upper extremity pain can originate from the musculoskeletal system, or be a reflection of problems originating from various organs. Therefore, it is highly important to perform a detailed clinical evaluation on patients during differential diagnosis. In this case report, we present a 61 year-old male patient who was admitted with pain in both upper extremities and the upper back that presumed to be of cardiac origin following our clinical evaluations. The patient was referred to the cardiology department, where he was diagnosed with coronary heart disease. The patient’s complaints of pain were fully resolved through the application of an intracoronary stent.

Physical properties relevant to upper gastrointestinal radiology have been compared for five barium sulphate preparations and related to radiographic results. Evaluation of particles (size and stability) and whole suspension (dispersibility and fluidity) resulted in ranking of the preparations generally in accord with that based on radiological experience in double contrast examinations of the stomach. Experiments with extirpated pig stomach revealed a tendency for large particles in a low viscosity barium sulphate suspension to settle in mucosal grooves. This is believed to contribute to good radiographic definition of both the areae gastricae and small lesions. Particle size is therefore important and susceptibility to flocculation, a possible cause of random change in size during use, was assessed by measuring particle electrophoretic mobility under varying conditions; quantitative differences in suspension flow and dispersibility were also demonstrated. Fluidity and dispersibility together with rapid sedimentation of suitably sized particles resistant to flocculation underlie the successful use of low viscosity high density barium sulphate suspensions. (U.K.)

This book presents a comprehensive framework for model-based electrical stimulation (ES) controller design, covering the whole process needed to develop a system for helping people with physical impairments perform functional upper limb tasks such as eating, grasping and manipulating objects. The book first demonstrates procedures for modelling and identifying biomechanical models of the response of ES, covering a wide variety of aspects including mechanical support structures, kinematics, electrode placement, tasks, and sensor locations. It then goes on to demonstrate how complex functional activities of daily living can be captured in the form of optimisation problems, and extends ES control design to address this case. It then lays out a design methodology, stability conditions, and robust performance criteria that enable control schemes to be developed systematically and transparently, ensuring that they can operate effectively in the presence of realistic modelling uncertainty, physiological variation an...

Clay-armored polymer particles were prepared by emulsion polymerization in the presence of Laponite platelets that adsorb at the surface of latex particles and act as stabilizers during the course of the polymerization. While Laponite RDS clay platelets are most often used, the choice of the type of clay still remains an open issue that is addressed in the present article. Four different grades of Laponite were investigated as stabilizers in the emulsion polymerization of styrene. First, the adsorption isotherms of the clays, on preformed polystyrene particles, were determined by ICP-AES analysis of the residual clay in the aqueous phase. Adsorption of clay depended on the type of clay at low concentrations corresponding to adsorption as a monolayer. Adsorption of clay particles as multilayers was observed for all the grades above a certain concentration under the considered ionic strength (mainly due to the initiator ionic species). The stabilization efficiency of these clays was investigated during the polymerization reaction (free of any other stabilizer). The clays did not have the same effect on stabilization, which was related to differences in their compositions and in their adsorption isotherms. The different grades led to different polymer particles sizes and therefore to different polymerization reaction rates. Laponite RDS and S482 gave similar results, ensuring the best stabilization efficiency and the fastest reaction rate; the number of particles increased as the clay concentration increased. Stabilization with Laponite XLS gave the same particles size and number as the latter two clays at low clay concentrations, but it reached an upper limit in the number of nucleated polymer particles at higher concentrations indicating a decrease of stabilization efficiency at high concentrations. Laponite JS did not ensure a sufficient stability of the polymer particles, as the polymerization results were comparable to a stabilizer-free polymerization system.

... stability letter, or a stability booklet) is required on certain vessels by paragraphs (b) or (c) of this..., must be provided to allow the master to be able to determine operating guidelines, loading restrictions... have stability details on the vessel's Certificate of Inspection, a stability letter issued by the...

Gives the reader an in-depth understanding of the phenomena caused by the more-or-less ubiquitous problem of actuator saturation. Proposes methods and algorithms designed to avoid, manage or overcome the effects of actuator saturation. Uses a state-space approach to ensure local and global stability of the systems considered. Compilation of fifteen years' worth of research results.

Ten sesame genotypes were tested in four locations in 2011 and 2012 crop seasons using a randomized block design, with three replications. Nine statistical methods were used to determine seed yield stability of the sesame genotypes. The results of the various statistical analyses showed significant variations in seed ...

The principle of core stability has gained wide acceptance in training for the prevention of injury and as a treatment modality for rehabilitation of various musculoskeletal conditions in particular of the lower back. There has been surprisingly little criticism of this approach up to date. This article re-examines the original findings and the principles of core stability/spinal stabilisation approaches and how well they fare within the wider knowledge of motor control, prevention of injury and rehabilitation of neuromuscular and musculoskeletal systems following injury.

The first part of the paper deals with the role transfer functions play in control problems (closed loop, Nyquist stability criterion, sampled data systems and z-transforms; the ''hog cycle''; spring oscillations; Lyapunov functions; the Zubov method; positive-real functions and the Popov criterion; the circle criterion; linear time-delay systems; equations with periodic coefficients; stability of repeated processes). In the second part the author considers the control of systems which are described by partial differential equations (heat-conduction equation; wave equation; control of the heat and the wave equations; parasitic oscillations; noise in linear systems; discrete noise processes). Many examples are given and briefly discussed. (author)

The book investigates stability theory in terms of two different measure, exhibiting the advantage of employing families of Lyapunov functions and treats the theory of a variety of inequalities, clearly bringing out the underlying theme. It also demonstrates manifestations of the general Lyapunov method, showing how this technique can be adapted to various apparently diverse nonlinear problems. Furthermore it discusses the application of theoretical results to several different models chosen from real world phenomena, furnishing data that is particularly relevant for practitioners. Stability Analysis of Nonlinear Systems is an invaluable single-sourse reference for industrial and applied mathematicians, statisticians, engineers, researchers in the applied sciences, and graduate students studying differential equations.

of this study is to investigate the oxidative and hydrolytic stability of MPL. In addition, this study also investigates the effect of chemical composition of MPL and Maillard reaction (interaction between lipids oxidation products with the residue of amino acids) on MPL emulsions’ stability. Firstly, MPL were...... was further investigated through measurement of secondary volatile compounds by Solid Phase Microextraction at several time intervals. On the other hand, the Maillard reaction was investigated through the measurement of color changes and pyrrole content before and after 32 days storage. Preliminary result...

The present report describes the hydraulic model tests of Accropode armour layers carried out at the Hydraulics Laboratory at Aalborg University from November 1995 through March 1996. The objective of the model tests was to investigate the hydraulic stability of Accropode armour layers...... with permeable core (crushed granite with a gradation of 5-8 mm). The outcome of this study is described in "Hydraulic Stability of Single-Layer Dolos and Accropode Armour Layers" by Christensen & Burcharth (1995). In January/February 1996, Research Assistant Thomas Jensen carried out a similar study...

During its maiden voyage in May 1962, a Centaur upper stage rocket, mated to an Atlas booster, exploded 54 seconds after launch, engulfing the rocket in a huge fireball. Investigation revealed that Centaur's light, stainless-steel tank had split open, spilling its liquid-hydrogen fuel down its sides, where the flame of the rocket exhaust immediately ignited it. Coming less than a year after President Kennedy had made landing human beings on the Moon a national priority, the loss of Centaur was regarded as a serious setback for the National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA). During the failure investigation, Homer Newell, Director of Space Sciences, ruefully declared: "Taming liquid hydrogen to the point where expensive operational space missions can be committed to it has turned out to be more difficult than anyone supposed at the outset." After this failure, Centaur critics, led by Wernher von Braun, mounted a campaign to cancel the program. In addition to the unknowns associated with liquid hydrogen, he objected to the unusual design of Centaur. Like the Atlas rocket, Centaur depended on pressure to keep its paper-thin, stainless-steel shell from collapsing. It was literally inflated with its propellants like a football or balloon and needed no internal structure to give it added strength and stability. The so-called "pressure-stabilized structure" of Centaur, coupled with the light weight of its high- energy cryogenic propellants, made Centaur lighter and more powerful than upper stages that used conventional fuel. But, the critics argued, it would never become the reliable rocket that the United States needed.

H2O is a key molecule in characterizing atmospheres of temperate terrestrial planets, and observations of transmission spectra are expected to play a primary role in detecting its signatures in the near future. The detectability of H2O absorption features in transmission spectra depends on the abundance of water vapor in the upper part of the atmosphere. We study the three-dimensional distribution of atmospheric H2O for synchronously rotating Earth-sized aquaplanets using the general circulation model (GCM) ROCKE-3D, and examine the effects of total incident flux and stellar spectral type. We observe a more gentle increase of the water vapor mixing ratio in response to increased incident flux than one-dimensional models suggest, in qualitative agreement with the climate-stabilizing effect of clouds around the substellar point previously observed in GCMs applied to synchronously rotating planets. However, the water vapor mixing ratio in the upper atmosphere starts to increase while the surface temperature is still moderate. This is explained by the circulation in the upper atmosphere being driven by the radiative heating due to absorption by water vapor and cloud particles, causing efficient vertical transport of water vapor. Consistently, the water vapor mixing ratio is found to be well-correlated with the near-infrared portion of the incident flux. We also simulate transmission spectra based on the GCM outputs, and show that for the more highly irradiated planets, the H2O signatures may be strengthened by a factor of a few, loosening the observational demands for a H2O detection.

Highlights: • First detailed neutronic modelling of the ECHUL port cell with ECHUL equipment (including beam lines with diamond windows, the beam lines mounting box, conduit boxes and rails). • Three different bioshield port plug configurations and two different neutron source configurations are investigated. • Radiation Levels are calculated in the port cell, focusing on the position of the diamond window. • The dose rate in the port cell is below the limit for maintenance in the port cell. • The radiation level at the diamond window is very low and should not influence its performance. - Abstract: The electron cyclotron-heating upper launcher (ECHUL) will be installed in four upper ports of the ITER tokamak thermonuclear fusion reactor. Each ECHUL is able to deposit 8 MW power into the plasma for plasma mode stabilization via microwave beam lines. An essential part of these beam lines are the diamond windows. They are located in the upper port cell behind the bioshield to reduce the radiation levels to a minimum. The paper describes the first detailed neutronic modelling of the ECHUL port cell with ECHUL equipment. The bioshield plug is modelled including passageways for the microwave beam lines, piping and cables looms as well as rails and openings for ventilation. The port cell is equipped with the beam lines including the diamond windows, the beam lines mounting box, conduit boxes and rails. The neutrons are transported into the port cell starting from a surface source in front of the bioshield. Neutronic results are obtained for radiation levels in the port cell at different positions, mainly focusing on the diamond windows position. It is shown that the radiation level is below the limit for maintenance in the port cell. The radiation level at the diamond window is very low and should not influence its performance.

H 2 O is a key molecule in characterizing atmospheres of temperate terrestrial planets, and observations of transmission spectra are expected to play a primary role in detecting its signatures in the near future. The detectability of H 2 O absorption features in transmission spectra depends on the abundance of water vapor in the upper part of the atmosphere. We study the three-dimensional distribution of atmospheric H 2 O for synchronously rotating Earth-sized aquaplanets using the general circulation model (GCM) ROCKE-3D, and examine the effects of total incident flux and stellar spectral type. We observe a more gentle increase of the water vapor mixing ratio in response to increased incident flux than one-dimensional models suggest, in qualitative agreement with the climate-stabilizing effect of clouds around the substellar point previously observed in GCMs applied to synchronously rotating planets. However, the water vapor mixing ratio in the upper atmosphere starts to increase while the surface temperature is still moderate. This is explained by the circulation in the upper atmosphere being driven by the radiative heating due to absorption by water vapor and cloud particles, causing efficient vertical transport of water vapor. Consistently, the water vapor mixing ratio is found to be well-correlated with the near-infrared portion of the incident flux. We also simulate transmission spectra based on the GCM outputs, and show that for the more highly irradiated planets, the H 2 O signatures may be strengthened by a factor of a few, loosening the observational demands for a H 2 O detection.

PURPOSE: To compare mersilene mesh and autogenous fascia lata for upper lid sling procedure in the management of ptosis with poor levator function. METHODS: This randomized clinical trial included 9 patients with unilateral and 11 patients with bilateral congenital ptosis and poor levator function. All subjects underwent upper lid sling procedure with a random choice of two different materials: mersilene mesh in 16 eyelids and autogenous fascia lata in 15 eyelids. RESULTS: Overall, 31 eyelids underwent the upper lid sling procedure. There was no difference between the two groups in terms of final functional (lid fissure height stability and cosmetic (lid margin contour results. Dermatochalasis was more common in the fascia lata group (10 eyes compared to the mersilene mesh group (2 eyes. Mersilene mesh extrusion occurred in two eyelids. CONCLUSION: Mersilene mesh has favorable long-term functional results and a low rate of complications. This material may be considered as an alternative to autogenous fascia lata for frontalis suspension surgery.

H{sub 2}O is a key molecule in characterizing atmospheres of temperate terrestrial planets, and observations of transmission spectra are expected to play a primary role in detecting its signatures in the near future. The detectability of H{sub 2}O absorption features in transmission spectra depends on the abundance of water vapor in the upper part of the atmosphere. We study the three-dimensional distribution of atmospheric H{sub 2}O for synchronously rotating Earth-sized aquaplanets using the general circulation model (GCM) ROCKE-3D, and examine the effects of total incident flux and stellar spectral type. We observe a more gentle increase of the water vapor mixing ratio in response to increased incident flux than one-dimensional models suggest, in qualitative agreement with the climate-stabilizing effect of clouds around the substellar point previously observed in GCMs applied to synchronously rotating planets. However, the water vapor mixing ratio in the upper atmosphere starts to increase while the surface temperature is still moderate. This is explained by the circulation in the upper atmosphere being driven by the radiative heating due to absorption by water vapor and cloud particles, causing efficient vertical transport of water vapor. Consistently, the water vapor mixing ratio is found to be well-correlated with the near-infrared portion of the incident flux. We also simulate transmission spectra based on the GCM outputs, and show that for the more highly irradiated planets, the H{sub 2}O signatures may be strengthened by a factor of a few, loosening the observational demands for a H{sub 2}O detection.

In the present study, a non-pulsatile arterially perfused hindbrain and upper body rat preparation is described which is an extension of the brainstem preparation reported by Potts et al., (Brain Res Bull 53(1):59-67), 1. The modified in situ preparation allows study of cerebellar function whilst preserving the integrity of many of its interconnections with the brainstem, upper spinal cord and the peripheral nervous system of the head and forelimbs. Evoked mossy fibre, climbing fibre and parallel fibre field potentials and EMG activity elicited in forelimb biceps muscle by interpositus stimulation provided evidence that both cerebellar inputs and outputs remain operational in this preparation. Similarly, the spontaneous and evoked single unit activity of Purkinje cells, putative Golgi cells, molecular interneurones and cerebellar nuclear neurones was similar to activity patterns reported in vivo. The advantages of the preparation include the ability to record, without the complications of anaesthesia, stabile single unit activity for extended periods (3 h or more), from regions of the rat cerebellum that are difficult to access in vivo. The preparation should therefore be a useful adjunct to in vitro and in vivo studies of neural circuits underlying cerebellar contributions to movement control and motor learning.

Full Text Available The accurate monitoring of climate change imposes strict requirements upon observing systems, in particular regarding measurement accuracy and long-term stability. Currently available data records of the essential climate variables (temperature-T, geopotential-p, humidity-RH, wind, and cloud properties in the upper-air generally fail to fulfil such requirements. This raises serious issues about the ability to detect, quantify and understand recent climate changes and their causes. GCOS is currently implementing a Reference Upper-Air Network (GRUAN in order to fill this major void within the global observing system. As part of the GRUAN implementation plan we provide herein fundamental guidelines for establishing and maintaining reference quality atmospheric observations which are based on principal concepts of metrology, in particular traceability. It is argued that the detailed analysis of the uncertainty budget of a measurement technique is the critical step for achieving this goal. As we will demonstrate with an example, detailed knowledge of the calibration procedures and data processing algorithms are required for determining the uncertainty of each individual data point. Of particular importance is the careful assessment of the uncertainties introduced by correction schemes adjusting for systematic effects.